“In 2006, in the midst of a fierce war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously stated that the world was witnessing the “birth pangs of a new Middle East.” She was right—but not in the sense she had hoped. Instead of disempowering Hezbollah and its sponsor, Iran, the war only augmented the strength and prestige of what is known as the “axis of resistance,” a power bloc that includes Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas in Palestine.” Payam Mohseni Hussein Kalout | Jan. 24, 2017

With the support of Tehran as the undisputed centre of this axis, Shiite armed movements in Iraq and across Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” have created a transnational, multi-ethnic, and cross-confessional political and security network that has made Iran’s web more muscular and effective than ever before – thus challenging Western interests, and global security far beyond. Moreover, our inability thus far to truly appreciate the nature and extent of the Axis of Resistance have prevented us from constructing a cohesive strategy to counter its influence.
 
The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to gather a panel of experts to discuss Iran’s alliance network – as seen through both its political alliances and ties to terrorist organisations, such as Hezbollah, Hamas and others – and how this could dramatically upset Western interests in the MENA region, Africa and Asia if left unchallenged.

Rasha AlAhdab graduated from the University of Law in Damascus, Syria. She is a trained lawyer and a Founding Member of the opposition National Change Party in-exile.

She organised many political dialogues between officers of the Free Syrian Army and various politicians covered by the Syria Files. Rasha has been defending women’s rights, primarily those of Arab women, by protecting them through guardianship over their bodies and personal freedom and by developing legal regulations to protect their rights. She contributed to the liberation of some detainees from the prisons of Jabhat al-Nusra ( Al Nosra Front) and other terrorist militias in Syria.

Rasha has contributed to securing asylum for Syrian activists fleeing the criminal Assad regime. She has advocated the need to protect LGBTQ rights and moderated several discussions on the importance of peaceful coexistence between atheists and non-religious people, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds, regardless of their gender or religion. More recently, Rasha has been pursuing her international master’s degree in international law.

Dr Adrian Calamel is Adjunct Professor of Global & Middle Eastern History, Southern New Hampshire University and History Professor at State University of New York (SUNY).

He also has his own podcast about the events of the Arab Spring, entitled “Adrian Calamel – The Arab Spring “, which is accessible at Working Historians website and on Apple Podcasts. In this fourth episode, Dr Calamel discusses how the Arab Spring played out in Syria.

Dr Calamel is currently working on his forthcoming book on Hezbollah and has recently established a non-governmental organization in America to counter the Islamic Republic’s narrative.

Erich J. Prince is the editor-in-chief of online magazine Merion West and an opinion contributor at The Hill.

Catherine Perez-Shakdam is a French Jewish political analyst and commentator for the Middle East. A former consultant for the United Nations Security Council on Yemen’s War Economy; her research was instrumental in better understanding Yemen’s political landscape and actors’ financial interests.

Her writing and commentaries on the Middle East have graced the cover of countless publications, including the Huffington Post, BBC Arabic, BBC Persia, Voices of America, and the Times of Israel.

In 2017 Catherine was the only Western media personality to have been granted an interview with now-President Ibrahim Raisi.

Her ability to move close to Iran’s Leadership and have access to key information as to the regime’s propagandist structure bought her the ire of Tehran and allegations that she had operated in Iran at the behest of foreign powers.

Once a close friend to Nader Talebzadeh, Catherine had a front row seat to the inner-workings of the Islamic Republic.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to hold a discussion on Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” and its impacts on Western geopolitical influence in the Middle East. Catherine Perez-Shakdam began the conversation by introducing the speakers. Erich J Prince discussed the significance of the American understanding of the actions of terrorist groups in Iran and outside its borders. Dr Adrian Calamel highlighted the role of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) in strengthening and exporting the Iranian revolution. He also argued that Hezbollah had a similar purpose in creating militias in the region, highlighting that the spread of these groups is not a regional issue but an international one. Rasha AlAhdab emphasized the multiple human rights violations in Iran, explaining why she thought the Islamic Republic was a global threat. Finally, the speakers answered questions on how to “get rid” of Hezbollah, the role of Russia and China in the region, and a possible confrontation between NATO and Iran.

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