Could the Houthis Be the Next Hizballah Iranian Proxy Development in Yemen and the Future of the Houthi Movement

This report documents the results of a project analyzing the prospects that Iran will further invest in the Houthis and develop them as an enduring proxy group in Yemen. The research in this report was completed in July 2018. In answering this question, the project focused on the history of the Houthi movement, its current relations with Iran, and future scenarios. To inform this analysis and better capture Irans strategic calculus vis--vis the Houthis, the project also explored Irans history of proxy development in three distinct contexts Lebanon, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. Lessons from these cases have informed the analysis of the future trajectory of the Houthi-Iran relationship. The projects findings should be of interest to a wide-ranging audience in the foreign policy and defense community, and particularly those interested in the broader Middle East. The analysis can help policymakers better understand Iranian motivations throughout the region while offering clear signals and warnings of potential escalation in Yemen.