how much has iran and hezbollah really helped palestine? or do they have an expansionist agenda ?

Justice Council Political Analysis

The weightiest point is that the support is real: Hezbollah opened an armed front after October 2023, the Houthis attacked shipping, and Iran demanded that any ceasefire include Gaza. That support also served Iran's own deterrence and strategic depth, and its cost fell mainly on Lebanese and Gazan civilians. Whether this is 'expansionism' or forward defence is contested.

Iran and Hezbollah have given Palestinians real material and military support: they armed Hamas, opened a front from Lebanon after October 2023 and pressed for Gaza to be covered by any ceasefire. That support also built Iran's deterrence and regional reach, so the question is not either/or. The record points to strategic self-interest bundled with solidarity. It does not show a plan to conquer territory, and how 'expansionist' it is remains contested.

The remedy

One ceasefire that covers every front, Gaza and Lebanon included, with monitoring and penalties for violations, would test whether Iran's support is about Palestine. If Iran and its allies honoured such a deal while Palestinian demands were met, the solidarity reading would gain weight. If they used it only as leverage, the strategic-depth reading would.

Sources

Governments & official records

The US presidential memorandum NSPM-2 (February 2025) treats Iran's backing of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis as terrorism and 'malign influence', not as solidarity. It orders a campaign to deny Iran and what it calls 'its terror proxies' access to revenue.

Research institutes

CFR says Hezbollah and Hamas share the aim of armed resistance against Israel, and that Hezbollah opened a cross-border front after October 2023. CFR also records Hezbollah fighting for Assad in Syria and Lebanon serving as a proxy battleground between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Security Council Report says the Houthis attacked shipping in what they called support for Gaza.

News & reporting

The Washington Institute describes the proxies as Iran's 'strategic depth' and says they extend its reach. The Soufan Center sees the Houthi advance on the Red Sea coast as a strategic gain for Tehran in its own war with the US. Al Jazeera reports that Iran pressed for a ceasefire on every front, Gaza included, during its talks with the US.