Israel providing intelligence to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi escalation - report

Israel and Saudi Arabia have engaged in talks mediated by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) over intelligence sharing, as the kingdom seeks to defend against Houthi attacks, according to a report on the Hebrew news site Walla. 

Over the past week, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, as well as capturing several key cities and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially threatening all Red Sea traffic. So far, the Houthis have stated that they will not allow any Saudi traffic through the strait. 

The attacks on Saudi Arabia have targeted oil production facilities and pipelines the kingdom uses to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.

While Iranian leaders have claimed the Houthis are acting independently, the seizure of the Red Sea coast of Yemen, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, gives the Iranian regime additional leverage as it seeks a solution to the conflict with the U.S. over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) spoke with CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Riyadh yesterday, Reuters reported. That meeting came days after bin Salman was reported to have asked U.S. President Donald Trump for military support in confronting the Houthis. 

While President Trump reportedly did not agree to military strikes, Washington did agree to provide intelligence and targeting assistance with Riyadh, Reuters reported. 

At the same time, reports in Hebrew and international media claimed that Israel was considering offering assistance to Saudi Arabia, perhaps in return for progress towards normalization between the two countries. 

With Washington not willing to provide military aid to the kingdom ahead of the mid-term elections, Riyadh has apparently turned to Israel for assistance. 

According to Walla, CENTCOM is mediating the contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which do not have direct diplomatic ties. Israel is reportedly sharing intelligence with Riyadh, similar to the assistance provided by Washington. 

Both Riyadh and Jerusalem have similar concerns regarding Houthi control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as the rebels have also targeted Israeli vessels traversing the waterway. 

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continued Monday night, with 13 civilians reported injured in strikes on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, as the rebels fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia. 

On Tuesday morning, Saudi Arabia said it would respond “firmly” against the Houthi attacks. 

MBS is set to visit Cairo to meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, where he will likely appeal for military support in confronting the Houthis. Israel Hayom reported that Egypt supported the Saudi request for U.S. military assistance. 

Bin Salman warned el-Sisi that the Houthis could just as easily threaten Egyptian trade, imposing a blockade similar to that in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel Hayom reported. 

The Saudi Crown Prince has appealed to several countries in the region to assist him against the Houthi threat, including Israel, Israel Hayom reported Sunday, citing the threat to shipping and trade through Bab el-Mandeb. 

Saudi Arabia has turned to other regional countries after Turkey and Pakistan, both members of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, failed to intervene militarily to aid the kingdom, despite the agreement containing a collective defense clause similar to Article 5 of the NATO agreement. 

So far, both Turkey and Pakistan have only agreed to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the fighting between the Saudis and the Houthis.