Iran has been spreading its influence through proxies in the Middle East, and there are strong links of it with organizations. Moreover, it has aimed to multiply its revolution across the globe for Spreading the Iranian Empire, and there is evidence from the use of proxies by Iran. First, Iran has passed through a revolution after which an institution has been formed with absolute powers. That institution is called Wilayat al-Faqih. It is based on the concept that all governance of the country is in the hands of one person. After the revolution, the Jurisprudence Ruler was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who had all powers in Iran, and all those would follow him. Most Shia Muslims adhere to Khomeini, and they ensure their actions reflect the teachings and guidance of one leader. That person or leader was Khomeini until his death in 1989, and then, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took charge and became supreme leader after becoming President of Iran. Under this extremist concept of Wilayat al-Faqih, every organization and notable person in Shia Islam consider it mandatory to follow the supreme leader of Iran. This is the foundation of emerging proxies of Iran in the Middle East.
Khomeini’s ideology has been very extreme, and he took a clear stance under which Iran has to make relations with countries in the world. The concept of Khomeini is to spread Islam across the globe by establishing an Islamic state. That state would follow the concept of Islam reflected and narrated by Khomeini. In this context, Iran has been working to develop proxies in the Middle East, where it feels any support from its followers. There are at least four countries where Iran has its proxies because leaders of those countries believe in the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih. There is Ansarullah from Yemen which is known as Houthis and the group’s founder Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi has been in Iran for many years. However, he has not shown any adherence to the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih publicly.
However, another proxy of Iran is in Lebanon, and its head Hassan Nasrullah publicly admits that he is the member of Wilayat al-Faqih party. There is an increasing influence of Iran in Iraq, where the Badr Organization has direct connections with Iran. Al-Amiri is part of Iraq’s government, and he has openly admitted that he believes in the principles of Wilayat al-Faqih. Moreover, Iran has a strong influence in Syria, where it has been supporting its favorite groups.
It has been made clear above that Khomeini’s extreme concept of Wilayat al-Faqih has tied people of Iran and people in other countries practicing Shia Islam. In the result, they take the words and guidance of the supreme leader of Iran like the words of God. It is aligned with the belief of Khomeini that the struggle would continue until Islam spreads across the globe but the fact behind is spreading of Iranian Empire. It is to remember that by Islam, Khomeini considers his version of Islam. Iran has supported its proxies in at least four countries in the Middle East vigorously, which threaten the peace in the region and then in the world eventually. The focus has been made on proxies, but important aspect of Khomeini’s concept is the strong stand against the United States and Israel. The use of proxies shows that Iran is posing a direct threat to world peace while the Middle East has been affected by it already and paying the cost of it.
