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A proxy war refers to a situation when a superpower wages war in a conflict area but is not directly engaged in that war. An example of a proxy war in the Middle East is an armed conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemens Houthi rebels, with the latter being supported by Iran. This is a proxy war because Iran does not provide Yemen with troops; instead, it only supplies s it with funding and weapons, thus avoiding direct engagement in the conflict (Byman). Although proxy wars bear many risks, countries engaging in proxy wars can get several gains from them.
First of all, countries may gain power in the region at a relatively low cost. This is one of the main reasons for the US to engage in proxy wars in the Middle East (Byman). By leading a proxy war, superpowers can get intelligence more effectively. Moreover, using the local population not only allows them to avoid human losses among their own troops but also helps prevent nationalistic backlash because local forces are more accepted in the community than foreign ones. In addition, proxy wars can help sponsoring countries promote their ideologies and enhance their leadership credibility among the domestic population.
Further, proxy wars can assist countries in engaging in the conflict without leading to its escalation. For example, in a conflict between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, the former got massive military and financial support from Iran, which makes this conflict a proxy war (Byman). Irans acting as a sponsor prevented the escalation of the conflict because its direct involvement in the war would compel Israel to fight back.
To sum up, proxy wars can sometimes bring certain gains. In particular, the sponsoring country can get power in the region of the conflict without incurring high costs, promote its political ideology, and avoid conflict escalation. Yet, proxy wars can also aggravate the conflict, lead to high spending of resources, and may not necessarily result in the achievement of the goals of the sponsoring country.
Work Cited
Byman, Daniel L. Why Engage in Proxy War? A States Perspective. Brookings, 2018.
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