Author Archives: Janatan Sayeh & Bridget Toomey

Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.
Houthis and Iran meeting

Iran reportedly urges the Houthis to de-escalate ‘tensions’

| March 19, 2025

Iran reportedly urged the Houthis to de-escalate tensions in the Red Sea following President Donald Trump’s warning the US will hold Tehran accountable for its proxy’s destabilizing activities. Iranian calls for de-escalation, along with previous communications with other regional proxies, may signal a shift in the Islamic Republic’s proxy strategy.