The Houthis have become a replacement for Hezbollah and an important partner for Russia.

The Israeli military has dealt major blows to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, significantly damaging its popularity in Lebanon. The problem for Iran is the need to find a replacement for this instrument of its policy, as stated in an article on the National Interest website.

The main contenders for the role of Hezbollah today are the Houthis from Yemen. They have already disrupted maritime trade in the Red Sea, fired missiles and drones at Israel, and controlled parts of the country.

The Houthis have become an important resource for Russia in provoking the West. Therefore, Iran and Russia together can use them to undermine the interests of the United States, Europe and Israel in the Middle East. The loss of Hezbollah would not necessarily weaken Iran, but rather force it to change its strategy to be more effective.