Iran’s key allies include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, and some militias in Iraq including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF; also called al-Hashd al-Shaabi). Collectively, Iran and this set of allies are called the Axis of Resistance, and it formerly included the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Iran also maintains a strategic relationship with Russia and has pursued closer relations with China.