The firepower of Iran-backed militias, in maps

ANY CONFLICT in the Middle East involves a complex web of allies and enemies. The war between Israel and Hamas risks spreading beyond its current borders if militias backed by Iran—the “axis of resistance”—scale up their involvement.

So far Iran’s proxies have shown a degree of caution. And, even if they did increase their involvement, Israel is well equipped to defend itself. It has an air force, the Iron Dome air-defence system, which can intercept missiles, and the backing of America. But the balance of firepower is not as lopsided as it once was. Groups backed by Iran, which include Hamas, Hizbullah and Houthis, have been amassing higher-quality weapons over the past decade. Our maps show the capabilities of their arsenal.