What comes to mind when you hear “colonialism”? Foreign armies, Occupation, Borders drawn by outside powers. But is that the only form colonialism can take?

Modern colonialism doesn’t always arrive with tanks, some argue it begins when another state can shape: political decisions, military strategy, education, religious institutions, public identity, without formally occupying territory.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has pursued a regional strategy centered on exporting its revolutionary ideology. Rather than relying on direct territorial occupation, it has expanded its influence through political alliances, armed groups, religious institutions, media networks, educational initiatives, and social service organizations across the Middle East.

Lebanon has become one of the clearest examples of Iran’s regional project. Through Hezbollah, Iran has built influence that extends far beyond military cooperation, reaching politics, education, healthcare, charitable organizations, and religious institutions. This model has embedded Iranian influence across multiple sectors of Lebanese public life, making it far more than a traditional political alliance.

Lebanon is not an exception, it is part of a broader regional strategy. Across Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza, Iran has expanded its reach through alliances with political actors and armed groups, creating enduring networks of influence that critics argue have eroded the sovereignty of neighboring states.

Iran claims to be fighting colonialism. I argue it has become one of the clearest examples of modern colonialism in the Middle East, not by annexing territory, but by embedding its political, military, and ideological influence across neighboring states.

Where Is the Line?

Not all foreign influence is colonialism. In my view, it becomes colonialism when an external power can shape another country’s sovereign decisions, protects its influence through armed groups outside state control, reshapes institutions around its own interests, and creates a system that cannot be dismantled without instability or violence.

One Standard for Everyone

If Western domination is colonialism, then any project that subordinates another nation’s sovereignty should be judged by the same standard. Colonialism is not determined by geography, religion, or ideology, it is determined by whether a people are free to govern themselves.