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Drones reshape proxy ties
DW reports that when the United States and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February, they hoped to cripple both the Islamic Republic and its “Axis of Resistance,” but Iranian forces continued launching drone attacks on neighboring Gulf states and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“When the United States and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February, they hoped to cripple both the Islamic Republic and its so-called Axis of Resistance in the Middle East”
DW quotes Peter Salisbury of Century International saying the strategy was that “by hitting the right leaders, weapons facilities and supply lines, an outside actor could induce catastrophic failure across the Iranian regime and its web of Middle Eastern allies.”
DW also says Wolf-Christian Paes argued the term “proxies” is misleading because Tehran’s allies can now build their own UAVs based on Iranian designs, with “most of the parts coming from countries other than Iran.”
DW adds that the “Beyond the Axis” report found drone-related conflict incidents rose from 140 in 2016 to more than 58,000 in 2025, a 41,000% increase, and it links that shift to changing regional ties with Iran.
DW further quotes Neil Quilliam of Chatham House that “The growing ability of Iran's partners to manufacture and deploy drones independently is also changing the nature of their relationship with Tehran.”
Funeral politics in Iraq
New Lines Magazine describes how Haider al-Kilabi, a member of the Iraqi parliament associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), visited the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad last June to thank Iran’s ambassador for conveying a request that some planned funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei be held in Iraq.
New Lines Magazine says the multiday procession between July 3 and July 9 includes several cities across Iran and Iraq, and it reports that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi visited Iraq in early July, including trips to Najaf and Karbala and visits to the shrines of the Shiite imams.
The article says the PMF established a high-level committee to organize funeral ceremonies in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, with officials announcing that more than 25,000 PMF personnel would be deployed to secure the funeral procession.
New Lines Magazine reports that around 351 “mawakib” would provide logistical support in Najaf alone, according to a Telegram channel affiliated with the Axis of Resistance, and it adds that Shafaq News observed major streets draped in Iraqi and Iranian flags.
New Lines Magazine quotes a framing of the political performance as a requirement to “behave as if they did,” citing Lisa Wedeen’s observation about Syria under Hafez al-Assad.
Escalation and threats
PressTV reports that Ali Akbar Velayati, a foreign policy advisor to the Leader, warned on social media that the Axis of Resistance is “ready to pull the trigger” to “cleanse” the region of American forces after US strikes on southern Iran and President Donald Trump’s remarks that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) is “over.”
“Last June, Haider al-Kilabi, a member of the Iraqi parliament closely associated with the country’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), visited the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, together with several other parliamentarians, to thank Iran’s ambassador for conveying their request that some of the planned funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei be held in Iraq (the multiday procession between July 3 and July 9 includes several cities across Iran and Iraq)”
PressTV says the warning came as the United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iranian targets on Wednesday, claiming to have hit over 80 sites, and it adds that the IRGC said it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against 85 key US military installations at Port Salman, home to the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
PressTV also reports that Trump said at a NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement “over,” adding, “I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore.”
PressTV states Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that “The era of bullying and extortion is over,” and it says “We don't fold.”
PressTV concludes that the final funeral ceremony is scheduled to take place in Mashhad on Thursday, where Ayatollah Khamenei will be laid to rest at the shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him).
