ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF PROXY WARS ON THE MIDDLE EASTERN SECURITY STRUCTURE: THE US-IRANIAN CONFLICT AS A PATH OF STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF NON-STATE ARMED ACTORS

Abstract

This article examines the impact of proxy wars on the Middle Eastern security structure through the lens of the U.S.–Iranian strategic rivalry, with a particular focus on the growing role of non-state armed actors between 2010 and 2025. It argues that the erosion of state authority following the Arab Uprisings of 2011 created permissive environments in which militias, hybrid armed groups, and transnational actors became central instruments of regional and international power projection. By analyzing key cases—Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon—the study demonstrates how both Iran and the United States have relied on proxy warfare to pursue strategic objectives while avoiding direct confrontation, reshaping patterns of sovereignty, governance, and security. Drawing on realism, constructivism, and Regional Security Complex Theory, the article situates proxy warfare within broader dynamics of power competition, ideology, sectarian identity, and regional interdependence. It highlights how Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Houthis, alongside U.S.-supported actors like the Syrian Democratic Forces, have evolved into hybrid entities combining military, political, and governance functions. While these actors enhance deterrence and strategic depth for their patrons, they simultaneously entrench fragmentation, fuel sectarian polarization, and prolong conflict. The article further explores the humanitarian, economic, and social consequences of proxy wars, emphasizing displacement, institutional collapse, and the normalization of hybrid security structures across the region. It concludes that proxy warfare is no longer a peripheral tactic but a defining feature of Middle Eastern security, with non-state armed actors functioning as indispensable yet destabilizing components of regional order.