African and International Relations Analyst, Nana Yaw Mireku, has cautioned against underestimating Iran’s strategic influence and reach, despite recent setbacks suffered by its regional allies and proxy groups.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Tuesday, June 17, Mr Mireku acknowledged that militant groups backed by Tehran, such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and affiliated militias in Syria, have been significantly weakened in recent months.

However, he stressed that this does not equate to a reduction in Iran’s capacity to destabilise global security.

“It is true that Hamas in Gaza is weakened. It is true that Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has been weakened. It is true that the Iranian proxy in Syria has also been seriously compromised,” he said. “But you can never underestimate these Iranians.”

Mr Mireku explained that Iran continues to wield influence through a sophisticated network of covert cells and proxy operations, which could be activated to strike strategic Western interests far beyond the Middle East.

“There is a way they can push serious shocks, and that is why all Americans are evacuating their citizens out of Iran,” he noted. “They can strike very strategic Western interests in the Middle East.”

He further warned that Iran's reach may extend across Western Europe and even into the United States, citing intelligence reports about sleeper cells allegedly linked to the Iranian regime.

“There are experts saying the Iranians have terror cells across Western Europe, even across the U.S., that they can trigger,” he stated. “Not necessarily targeting U.S. or Western interests in the Middle East—but possibly even in some of these [Western] locations.”

His comments come amid renewed regional tensions and heightened scrutiny over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with fears growing that the conflict between Iran and Israel could escalate into a broader confrontation involving Western powers.