Frequently, terrorist organizations attack foreign targets in return for the support they receive. Operational cooperation between the Lebanese Hizballah and other Islamic groups with the Iranian government illustrate this point. Yet, the violent activities of state supported organizations in the international arena, like the attacks perpetrated by Palestinian 'rejectionist' organizations in the 1970s and the 1980s, were primarily rooted in the domestic constraints that prevented them from establishing operational capabilities locally. Moreover, states which support Islamic militant opposition forces in the region, usually prefer that these groups consolidate their power and influence in their homelands. Iran's abortive attempt to export the revolution to other countries illustrated the difficulties involved in attaining this goal, and in any case, that it is unlikely to be accomplished through international terrorism.
Terrorist action carried out by government agents is another aspect of state-sponsored terrorism.
The activity of government agents is first an foremost a function of the extent to which the responsible government is willing to bear the consequences of their involvement in terrorism. Reactions to state involvement in international terrorism have ranged from economic and diplomatic sanctions to military retaliation. Thus blatant Libyan and Syrian involvement in international terrorism resulted in economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed by Western nations. More rarely, such activities resulted in a military response. The air attack carried out by the US against Libya in 1986, and the attack against targets in Sudan and Afghanistan in 1988 following the terrorist incidents in Africa, are examples for this infrequent course of counter-action.