Israel and Saudi Arabia held talks mediated by US Central Command aimed at helping Riyadh defend itself against the Houthi military through intelligence assistance, a regional diplomat confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
This follows earlier reporting by the Post's sister outlet, Walla, which cited diplomatic sources in the Middle East.
"There were good discussions," a source familiar with the discussions told the Post.
Notably, the discussions follow a meeting between US CENTCOM Chief Adm. Brad Cooper, and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, as well as other Saudi officials.
The Houthis have intensified attacks on the Saudi regime over the past week, including a drone attack on oil pipelines and pumping facilities that led to a partial shutdown of activity along the main pipeline. The Houthis also attacked Saudi civilians who were inside a mosque and on nearby buildings not far from the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border.
In parallel, the Houthi military seized several strategically located islands along the Red Sea and barred Saudi vessels from passing through Bab al-Mandab Strait, imposing what the sources described as an economic and diplomatic blockade on Saudi Arabia.
The security situation has raised significant concerns, not only among the Saudis but also among other countries in the region, according to security sources.
The concern is based on a scenario in which the US reaches understandings with Iran and the Houthis, leaving Saudi Arabia and other countries to face unresolved threats in the foreseeable future while remaining exposed to continued attacks.
Saudi Arabia, Israel hold talks to help Riyadh defend itself
Diplomatic sources in the region said Saudi Arabia and Israel held talks mediated by CENTCOM to help the Saudis protect themselves. The IDF has already demonstrated intelligence and operational capabilities in the maritime arena around the Strait of Hormuz, assisting the Americans in building layers of intelligence on the locations of Iranian forces.
The Saudi request for assistance was likely focused on intelligence support to build a broader picture of Houthi military deployments in the area and identify potential plans for future operations, the sources said.
Saudi Arabia also asked Britain for assistance in repelling the Houthis from Bab al-Mandab Strait and in helping defend against strikes on its oil infrastructure, Bloomberg reported.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has agreed to send British military advisers to assist Saudi Arabia, but he has not yet committed to sending any additional aid, the report said.
Meanwhile, security officials said US President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Riyadh to develop a civilian nuclear program has caused significant concern within Israel’s security establishment, as Saudi Arabia is a country rich in energy resources and is located within 15 kilometers of Israel.
The issue was raised with Trump, who quickly linked any progress on the civilian nuclear issue to the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Saudis say they want to advance a diplomatic process with Israel once the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved.
Israel and Saudi Arabia share several security interests regardless of normalization, and there is optimism that a roadmap under which the sides would reach a diplomatic agreement can soon emerge. Such an agreement is considered to be significant, particularly amid growing threats in the Middle East.
Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.