Shia Crescent

The Shia Crescent is the notionally crescent-shaped region of the West Asia where the majority population is Shia or where there is a strong Shia minority in the population.

In recent years the term has been used in Western political discourse to identify areas under Iranian influence or control and soft power, as Iran has sought to unite all Shia Muslims under one banner. On the other hand, this concept shows the increasing political weight of Shia in Western Asia.

Areas in the Shia Crescent include Lebanon, Syria (west Syria), Bahrain, Iraq (south Iraq), Iran, Azerbaijan, Yemen (northwest Yemen), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia (Al-Ahsa Oasis) and Afghanistan (Hazarajat). In addition to the Twelver Shia, the term also included Ismaili, Zaydi in Yemen, Alawi groups in Syria and Alevi groups in Turkey. After the Assad regime was overthrown by the Sunni opposition on 8 December 2024, Syria was no longer dominated by Iran and its allies, and the remnants of the former regime launched sporadic insurgency in the western coastal areas.

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