Israeli journalist Danny Zaken reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman indirectly approached Israel through the US Central Command (CENTCOM), requesting intelligence and operational assistance against the Houthis. The request follows Houthi advances including the capture of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to the report. The report is based on a single journalist and remains unconfirmed by official sources.
Israeli journalist Danny Zaken reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has indirectly approached Israel through the US Central Command (CENTCOM), requesting intelligence and operational assistance against the Houthi insurgency in Yemen, according to multiple messages from The Zioneer Intelligence Desk's monitored channels. The report, also cited by diplomatic sources, indicates that the request follows significant Houthi gains, including the capture of the key Bab el-Mandeb strait, which threatens international shipping lanes. Saudi-backed forces have reportedly suffered heavy losses in recent engagements, prompting Riyadh to seek external support.
The indirect request via CENTCOM underscores the deepening of quiet security cooperation between Israel and moderate Arab states in the face of shared threats from Iran-backed proxies. As The Zioneer has previously reported (September 13-14), Saudi Arabia had previously signaled openness to large-scale military operations against the Houthis. The current development, if confirmed, would mark the first known instance of Riyadh seeking direct Israeli military assistance.
The report remains based on a single journalist's account and has not been confirmed by official Israeli, Saudi, or US sources.
4 developments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake