Iran's Allies Launch Rocket Attacks Against Israel and US Targets
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Shia militia groups allied with Iran across the Middle East have intensified attacks on Israel and United States interests, marking a new escalation in the expanding regional conflict. The attacks are being carried out by groups that form part of the “Axis of Resistance” alliance supported by Tehran.
Mohanad Hage Ali, analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, stated that the militia network built by Iran was specifically designed to handle major conflict situations such as the current one. “Iran built the Axis for moments like this. If the Iranian regime is destroyed, nothing will remain of the Axis,” he said, as cited by Reuters on Friday (13 March 2026).
In recent days, the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, together with elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, launched large-scale rocket attacks on Israel. Approximately 200 rockets were fired in a single wave of attacks, whilst the Israeli military stated that the majority of projectiles were intercepted by their air defence systems.
The Israeli military also reported that the attacks involved dozens of drones directed at various targets across Israel. Nevertheless, most of the rockets were successfully intercepted and the resulting damage was relatively limited.
This Hezbollah attack occurred amid a broader conflict between Iran and Israel. Previously, Israel had launched air strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure across several regions of the country.
The conflict escalation was further evident from direct Iranian attacks on Israeli targets. A series of missiles reportedly struck several areas, including Tel Aviv, triggering explosions and air raid sirens in various cities.
Meanwhile in Iraq, Shia militias operating under the umbrella of “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” have also intensified attacks on US interests. In their latest statement, the group claimed to have carried out dozens of attacks using drones and rockets against US-associated military bases in the region.
Several Iraqi security sources reported that militia attacks have also begun targeting the energy sector. Two drones reportedly struck the Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq, operated by US company KBR. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Other attacks targeted US diplomatic facilities near Baghdad International Airport as well as a US military base near Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
On the other hand, the Houthi group in Yemen, another key Iranian ally, has not yet directly involved itself in the latest escalation. However, their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, previously stated that the group was prepared to take military action should the situation require it.