The hottest Proxy warfare Substack posts right now

A short religious edict can act like a weapon, inspiring violence and fear far beyond the borders of the state that issues it.
The fatwa against Salman Rushdie shows how a few broadcast words can export an ideology and keep threatening people even if the issuing regime weakens or falls.
Words and religious rulings can be more enduring and influential than missiles or militias, shaping politics and danger for decades.

Kurdish party leaders say they have no interest in operating outside the Kurdish region and are not planning a march on Tehran.
U.S. officials have discussed supporting Iranian Kurdish fighters, but there’s no concrete agreement or deployment yet and the idea remains hypothetical.
Groups like Komala and the KDPI have bases in Iraqi Kurdistan near Iran’s border, yet their forces have not crossed into Iran to start an uprising.

Calling Hezbollah "Iran's proxy" is misleading because it erases the group's independent history, local support, and distinct strategic aims.
Hezbollah grew out of specific Lebanese political and social conditions and pursues its own goals rather than acting solely as an instrument of Iran.
Framing Hezbollah as a proxy is used to delegitimize opposition and to justify Israeli military actions while obscuring the humanitarian costs for civilians.

Previous rounds of tit‑for‑tat strikes were carefully choreographed to avoid killing Americans, often causing little damage or no casualties.
After U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and other senior figures, Iran launched wide retaliatory attacks using ballistic missiles and drones across the region.
Unlike earlier exchanges, the regime now appears to be risking a major escalation and is effectively betting on causing American casualties to press its advantage.

The US has played a major role in influencing events in Syria. It's important to recognize that outside powers can shape conflicts and outcomes.
People often have their own reasons for fighting in conflicts, but that doesn't mean outside influences are absent. The US and its allies were heavily involved in Syria's struggles.
Understanding global conflict requires acknowledging the US's powerful role as an empire. This knowledge helps explain why certain countries become targets for regime change.

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There is a push for action against Iran despite lack of evidence.
Admiral Stavridis' rise in the military and political circles is characterized by toadying and political maneuvering.
His involvement in conflicts like the Libya intervention and advocacy for aggressive actions in Russia and Syria raises concerns.

The US military recruits foreign fighters as proxies for irregular warfare but does not vet them for past atrocities.
Special Operations Command plays a significant role in secretive shadow wars across the globe.
US special operations forces have been active in the majority of countries worldwide, focusing heavily on irregular warfare.

Iran has helped Venezuela build local drone production and assembly lines so Venezuelan forces can operate Iranian designs like the Mohajer-6, including armed reconnaissance and guided munitions.
That cooperation turns Venezuela into a Latin American manufacturing node for Iran’s regional network, expanding Tehran’s influence and putting advanced surveillance and strike drones into the Western Hemisphere.
The partnership exemplifies a sanctions‑resistant, distributed weapons-production model that the U.S. is trying to counter with sanctions, and it suggests more proxy drone factories could appear in allied states.