RIYADH – Saudi Arabia is facing rapidly escalating security crisis as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis push deeper toward the kingdom and tighten their grip around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait—and an explosive new report claims Riyadh has quietly turned to Israel for help.
Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought assistance from Tel Aviv, including intelligence support, as the kingdom struggles to contain the Houthi advance.
The reported approach was allegedly made indirectly through U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), according to the newspaper. The objective, the report says, is to prevent the Houthis from effectively shutting down Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States have not publicly confirmed that Riyadh requested Israeli assistance.
The reported outreach comes after Saudi Arabia itself sought direct American military intervention. According to Reuters, Mohammed bin Salman asked U.S. President Donald Trump for assistance against the Houthis as their threat to the Red Sea intensified.
Washington declined to launch direct strikes for now, but agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance.
Saudi Arabia previously indicated that it could confront the Houthi threat on its own. But the latest escalation has forced the kingdom to seek greater external support as the Houthis expand their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The pressure on Riyadh was underscored by a high-level meeting in Jeddah. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, with the two sides discussing regional developments and security issues amid the escalating Houthi threat. The timing of the meeting raised questions.
It came shortly after reports that Riyadh had appealed to Washington for military action, and as the Israeli newspaper claimed Saudi Arabia was also seeking assistance through CENTCOM from Israel. Together, the developments point to an increasingly urgent effort by Riyadh to build a wider security response around the Houthi advance.
While diplomatic and military calculations unfold behind closed doors, the battlefield situation is deteriorating. Houthis have launched fresh missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets, including military positions in the kingdom. A recent attack targeted a military base in Khamis Mushait, with 13 civilians wounded.
The attacks demonstrate the Houthis’ growing ability to project force beyond Yemen—and have added further pressure on the Saudi leadership.
At the center of the crisis is Bab al-Mandab. The narrow strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a critical gateway for international maritime traffic. Recent reports say Houthi forces have seized strategically important territory, including Perim Island, while expanding their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Reuters reported that the advance has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil-export routes.
Other reporting has described the Houthi position as giving the group effective control over the strategic chokepoint. For Riyadh, that could become a nightmare. If the Houthis are able to maintain or expand their control around the strait, Saudi Arabia could face another major obstacle to moving oil and other goods through the Red Sea—at a time when other regional shipping routes are already under severe pressure.
Houthi escalation comes as Saudi Arabia is already dealing with disruptions to its energy infrastructure. The kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, a critical alternative route designed to bypass Hormuz, has been shut following an attack. The pipeline normally has the capacity to move millions of barrels of oil per day toward Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports.
Now, with the Houthis threatening the Red Sea route as well, Riyadh faces a potentially dangerous energy-security dilemma. Hormuz is under pressure. Bab al-Mandab is under pressure. And Saudi oil infrastructure is being targeted. The consequences are already being felt in global energy markets, with oil prices climbing sharply amid the wider regional instability.
This is where the alleged Saudi-Israeli contact becomes particularly significant. Saudi Arabia and Israel have historically had no formal diplomatic relationship. Yet both countries share concerns over Iranian influence and the growing capabilities of Iran-aligned groups across the region.
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Houthis have now emerged as a common strategic threat. For Israel, Houthi control of a major Red Sea chokepoint could threaten maritime traffic and Israeli interests. For Saudi Arabia, the danger is even more immediate: the group operates next door and is now capable of striking Saudi territory.
If Israel Hayom report is eventually confirmed, the implications could extend far beyond the current Houthi conflict. It would suggest that Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States are quietly coordinating around a common threat, with intelligence sharing potentially becoming a bridge between countries whose formal diplomatic relationship remains unresolved.
There is currently no public confirmation from Riyadh, Tel Aviv or Washington that such an Israeli-Saudi intelligence arrangement exists. The Israeli report therefore remains an allegation. What is confirmed is that Saudi Arabia has sought U.S. help, Washington is providing intelligence and targeting assistance, and senior Saudi and American military officials are engaged in urgent talks as the Houthi threat expands.
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