Houthis + Iran? Houthi Buried Next to Hezbolla's Mughniyeh

There remains considerable debate regarding the strength of links between the Houthis and Iran. From our perspective, the fact that financial/military/ideological links are present is well established. However, how strong are those links? How much sway does Iran have over the Houthi movement?

From official Houthi social media (and any official Houthi statements, for that matter), they would have you believe that Iran has very little sway. Any links that exist are simply friendly and diplomatic - the Houthis are not part of some Iranian plot to extend its interests in the Arabian Peninsula.

This post won't offer a conclusion to that debate. However, we would like to shed light on a headline that may add fuel to the fire:

Headline reads: "Houthi Leader Buried Next to Imad Mughniyeh in Beirut"

"Houthi Leader Buried Next to Imad Mughniyeh in Beirut"

Is this article true? That's unclear. It's from (somewhat tabloidish newspaper) Al-Quds Al-Arabi, who in the article cites a Lebanese website as saying that Houthi spiritual leader Abdel Malek Al-Shami was buried on April 12th in southern Beirut, next to the grave of notorious Hezbollah operative Imad Mughniyeh. Abdel Malek Al-Shami was a Houthi preacher killed in ISIS's 20 March bombings of two Houthi mosques in Sanaa.

Why is a Houthi leader being buried next to someone as important as Mughniyeh?