Dictionary

axis of resistance en · PROPN

Etymology

Calque of Arabic مِحْوَرُ المُقَاوَمَة (miḥwaru l-muqāwama). First used in 2002 in Libya in response to George W. Bush's axis of evil.

Meanings

1. An Iranian-led, anti-American, anti-Zionist, Shiite Islamist coalition in the Middle East whose significant participants include the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
   • Oddly, the Islamic Republic claims that Israel “lost five wars with the Axis of Resistance since the July 2006 war with the Lebanese resistance.” 2021 August 7, Seth J. Frantzman, “Iran claims Israel afraid of conflict with its 'axis of resistance'”, in the Jerusalem Post:
   • Iran’s axis of resistance consists of a network of political parties and armed groups that span Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. 2022 July 14, Nancy Ezzeddine, Hamidreza Azizi, “Iran's Increasingly Decentralzed Axis of Resistance”, in War on the Rocks:
   • The news agency said Assad and Jalili discussed their two countries' "strategic cooperation relationship" and "attempts by some Western countries and their allies to strike at the axis of resistance by targeting Syria and supporting terrorism there." 2012 August 7, “Iran: We're in "axis of resistance" with Syria”, in CBS:
   • The Houthis have fought and largely won a nine-year civil war against Yemen’s government — which is supported by Riyadh. They are thought to be one of the members of the axis of resistance most closely controlled by Iran. 2024 January 14, Jason Burke, “Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ is a potent coalition but a risky strategy”, in the Guardian:

Forms

Deriveds

resistoid

wikipedia: George W. Bush