Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Shams TV in Arabic that Iran’s network of regional proxies is showing signs of fragmentation and decline following recent developments.
According to Abdul-Hussain, the Houthis in Yemen have effectively distanced themselves from Tehran, describing their involvement in the conflict as largely symbolic. He suggested their primary goal is to gain long-term legitimacy as Yemen’s rulers rather than serve as a direct Iranian arm.
He also argued that Hamas has been significantly degraded, now controlling only parts of Gaza with limited military capabilities. In Iraq, he said Iranian-backed militias underperformed during the conflict and are now facing increasing pressure from the Iraqi government, weakening their political standing.
The only group that fully aligned with Iran’s directives, Abdul-Hussain noted, was Hezbollah. However, even Hezbollah has suffered major setbacks and is now considerably weakened. He added that if Iran agrees to US demands, it may be forced to distance itself from Hezbollah—potentially leaving the group exposed to internal Lebanese pressure.