Why have Hamas and the Houthis not officially entered the Iran War yet?

Although an open war has broken out between Iran and Israel, two pro-Iranian groups have remained on the sidelines of the conflict: Hamas and the Houthis.

Hamas is currently very weakened militarily after its defeat in the Gaza war. In addition, the group has publicly expressed support for the peace process proposed by Trump, so entering the war now could endanger that process and even compromise what remains of its own organization.

On the other hand, the organizational capacity of the Houthis was significantly reduced last August, when Israel and the United States bombed positions in Yemen, killing 12 of their main leaders. It is also possible that Iran prefers not to use all of its cards yet, especially because the United States has not sent ground troops to invade Iran.

By contrast, as expected, Hezbollah has attacked Israel. Hezbollah is a militia with around 70,000 soldiers and 150,000 rockets that follows a form of Shiism very similar to that of Iran. It is considered a terrorist organization by many countries around the world and is financed and politically controlled by the ayatollahs.

The alliance between Iran, Hamas, and the Houthis is primarily geopolitical rather than religious. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran adopted a foreign policy centered on challenging U.S. influence, opposing Israel, and expanding its regional influence.

Iran’s alliance with Hamas and the Houthis is largely based on proxy warfare, where Iran strengthens allied militias that can pressure its rivals without direct Iranian military involvement. These groups form part of the regional network often called the “Axis of Resistance,” which allows Iran to project power across several conflict zones.

Hamas, a Sunni militia, has historically had around 45,000 to 50,000 fighters, but the war in Gaza reduced its numbers to roughly 10,000 militants according to Israeli military estimates. The group possesses thousands of short and medium range rockets, anti tank weapons, drones, and an extensive underground tunnel system used for logistics and surprise attacks.

The Houthis in Yemen are a larger insurgent movement that follows a different branch of Shiism than the one practiced in Iran. Estimates generally place their forces between 100,000 and 200,000 fighters, including tribal militias. With Iranian support, they have developed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and armed drones capable of striking Saudi Arabia, Israel, and commercial ships in the Red Sea. This gives them strategic influence over the Bab al Mandab maritime corridor, through which roughly 10 to 15 percent of global trade passes.

Geopolitically, these forces give Iran a distributed military presence around key strategic areas such as Israel’s borders, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea.