They build layers for plausible deniability: the IRGC/Quds Force directs and trains while militias and proxies execute. Small, compartmented cells and facilitators in permissive states and diaspora communities handle recruitment, surveillance, safehouses, procurement, and transport. Too often their activity is hidden inside legitimate‑seeming NGOs, charities, and corporate fronts that launder funds, buy dual‑use goods, and mask shipments and personnel.