Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been designated by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism (since 1984). Attributions from multiple governments—including the U.S., Israel, and Argentina—allege that Tehran has directly orchestrated or supported attacks globally through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Quds Force, and a network of powerful proxies such as Hezbollah (Lebanon), Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) (Palestine), Iraqi militias (e.g., Kata’ib Hezbollah), and Houthis (Yemen).
While Iran denies sponsoring terrorism, viewing supported groups as “resistance” movements, a pattern of major incidents has been attributed to the regime or its allies across four decades.
1979–2000: The Era of Direct and Early Proxy Attacks
The wave of attacks began immediately after the 1979 revolution:

• 1979–1981: US Embassy Hostage Crisis (Tehran, Iran). Iranian students, backed by the new regime, seized the US embassy and held 52 Americans captive for 444 days. This was a case of direct Iranian government involvement.
• 1983: US Embassy Bombing (Beirut, Lebanon). A suicide truck bomb attributed to Islamic Jihad (a precursor to Hezbollah) killed 63 people, including 17 Americans.
• 1983: Beirut Barracks Bombings (Beirut, Lebanon). Suicide bombings on US and French barracks were widely attributed to Hezbollah/Iran, killing 307 people (241 Americans).
• 1984–1990s: Kidnappings and Bombings (Lebanon). Throughout this period, Iranian-backed Hezbollah conducted numerous kidnappings of Westerners and other attacks.
• 1992: Israeli Embassy Bombing (Buenos Aires, Argentina). A car bomb killed 29 people. Argentine investigations pointed to Hezbollah/Iran.
• 1994: AMIA Jewish Center Bombing (Buenos Aires, Argentina). A suicide truck bomb killed 85 people. Argentine courts later indicted Iranian officials for this attack, attributing it to Hezbollah/Iran.
• 1996: Khobar Towers Bombing (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia). A truck bomb on US Air Force housing killed 19 Americans. The attack was attributed to Hezbollah al-Hejaz with Iranian support, leading to a US indictment.
  2000s–2010s: Support for Regional Insurgencies and Global Plots
  In the 21st century, Iran’s use of proxies became increasingly strategic, particularly in Iraq, alongside foiled plots targeting Western interests:
• 2000s–2010s: Attacks on US Forces (Iraq). During the Iraq insurgency, Iranian-backed Shia militias provided Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and training, contributing to the deaths of an estimated 603 US troops.
• 2011: Plot to Assassinate Saudi Ambassador (Washington, DC, USA). A plan by the IRGC to use a Mexican cartel to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador was foiled. This represented direct IRGC involvement.
• 2012: Burgas Bus Bombing (Burgas, Bulgaria). A bomb on a bus carrying Israeli tourists killed 6 people, attributed to Hezbollah/Iran by EU and Bulgarian authorities.
• 2012–Present: Foiled Global Plots (Various Locations). A continuous stream of foiled bombings and assassination attempts targeting Israelis or Jews has been uncovered across Asia, Africa, and Europe, attributed to the IRGC/Hezbollah network.
• 2018: Foiled Bomb Plot at MEK Rally (Paris, France). A direct Iranian plot was exposed when an Iranian diplomat was convicted in a Belgian court for providing explosives meant for a rally of Iranian dissidents.
  2019–Present: Escalation via the ‘Axis of Resistance’
  The most recent period reflects a broad, multi-front escalation across the Middle East, driven heavily by Iranian-supplied and trained proxies:
• 2019–Present: Attacks on US Bases (Iraq/Syria). Iranian-backed militias, notably Kata’ib Hezbollah, have launched persistent rocket and drone strikes on US facilities, resulting in dozens of injuries and some deaths.
• 2023–Present: Houthi Attacks (Red Sea/Israel). In solidarity with other proxies, the Houthis in Yemen have used Iranian weapons and training to launch missiles and drones targeting international shipping in the Red Sea and Israel.
• 2023–Present: Proxy Attacks Post-Oct 7 (Gaza/Lebanon/Yemen/Iraq). Following the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iraqi militias have intensified rocket and drone strikes on Israel and US forces, leading to hundreds of casualties in related conflicts.
• 2024–2025: Arson and Plots (Australia/Europe). Intelligence from Australia and Sweden attributes ongoing attacks on Jewish sites and recruitment of local criminals for “hits” to operations directly overseen by the IRGC.
  Key Takeaways
• Proxies and Deniability: The vast majority of major post-1990s attacks are conducted by Iranian proxies—such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi militias—which provides Iran with plausible deniability.
• Targeted Assassinations: Beyond these major incidents, Iran has also been accused of numerous assassinations of dissidents abroad, particularly in Europe and Turkey.
• Scale of Support: The documented incidents are only a fraction of Iran’s overall influence, which includes ongoing funding, arms, and training for proxies that contribute to thousands of deaths in regional conflicts like the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.

(Grok AI)