Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are all powered by Iran.

In the latest round of nuclear talks with Iran, President Trump made his top priority clear: “They cannot have a nuclear weapon.” 

Iran’s supreme leader has long called for “death to America” and “death to Israel,” which has increased the urgency of both countries to keep nukes away from Iran.   

According to the U.S., Iran is also the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, with a network of terrorist groups waging war across the Middle East on Tehran’s behalf.  

If Iran got its hands on nuclear weapons, U.S. leaders worry it would be emboldened to provide even more support for its proxy terrorist groups in the region and let them be even more aggressive. 

These are the terrorist groups that would benefit from a stronger Iran:

Hamas 

First designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997, Hamas is the militia that governs Gaza. Since the early 1990s, Hamas has received weapons, military training, and funding to the tune of $100 million per year from Iran. 

With Iran’s support, Hamas carried out the October 7 attacks – the bloodiest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust – against Israel in 2023. Hamas murdered 1,200 civilians that day, including over 40 American citizens. Hamas also captured 251 innocent people, including 12 Americans, as hostages. At least 41 of the hostages have died in captivity, and many more are still being held by Hamas today.  

Other Palestinian Terrorist Groups 

Iran provides support to other terrorist groups operating in Palestine, including Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Like Hamas, Iran trains these groups and gives them the weapons and money they need to wage war.  

Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine often work closely with Hamas. In the early 2000s, these groups launched a series of attacks against Israel in what was known as the “Second Intifada.” 1,053 Israelis were killed in these attacks, about 70 percent of whom were civilians, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.   

The Houthis 

After President Biden removed the Houthis’ terrorist designation in 2021, President Trump re-designated them a terrorist organization in March 2025. Officially known as Ansarallah, the Houthis are a rebel group in Yemen that currently controls a third of the country’s territory. Iran is the biggest supporter of the Houthis, giving them advanced weapons like ballistic missiles and drones. 

With Iran’s backing, the Houthis have been able to effectively shut down international shipping through the Red Sea, a major trade route that carries about one third of the world’s container shipments. Starting shortly after Hamas’ October 7 massacre, the Houthis attacked over 100 commercial and military ships in the region, causing most cargo ships to avoid the area altogether. 

Hezbollah 

For nearly three decades, the U.S. has deemed Hezbollah a terrorist organization. A political party and militia based in Lebanon, Hezbollah is considered “the most heavily armed non-state group in the world.”  

Hezbollah is believed to have been created by Iran in the 1980s. Iran has given the group hundreds of millions of dollars, long-range missiles, and training for its 40,000 soldiers. Shortly after Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Hezbollah began launching missiles into northern Israel, killing 120 people and forcing tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate from their homes.  

Amid reports that Hezbollah is expanding its operations into Latin America, Senator John Curtis of Utah is leading the bipartisan “No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act” to find and root out Iranian-backed terrorism on our side of the world.