SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sought assistance from Israel, indirectly and through the US military, in countering the Houthis in Yemen, according to reports in the Israeli press, as the Iran-aligned group tightens its grip on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The approach was routed through the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and sought intelligence and other support aimed at preventing the Houthis from closing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Hebrew daily Israel Hayomreported citing diplomatic officials in the region. Riyadh has separately made direct appeals to Egypt and other Gulf states, the report added.
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations and Riyadh has issued no official response to the report.
Houthi gains at the chokepoint
The appeal follows the most significant Houthi territorial advance in years. The group seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and took Perim Island, also known as Mayun, which sits within the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane, prompting the withdrawal of Yemeni government forces.
The strait links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba. Cargo vessels and oil and gas tankers transit it in both directions, including shipments of Gulf crude bound for Europe.
Mohammed bin Salman has warned in his appeals of severe damage to the region and to the global economy should the strait be closed, according to Israel Hayom. Egypt, which stands to lose Suez Canal revenues in the event of a blockade, has backed the Saudi position and approached Washington in support of it.
Saudi Arabia has in recent weeks refrained from sending tankers through the strait for fear of attack and has halted the movement of oil from its eastern fields to the western port of Yanbu following strikes on the East-West pipeline.
Trump declines strikes
The Crown Prince spoke to US President Donald Trump at least twice on September 10, pressing him to authorise American strikes on the Houthis, Axios reported citing two US officials. Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the discussions, and CBS News separately confirmed that he had sought US military action.
Trump declined, even as Washington instead offered intelligence and targeting support, with about 200 US personnel already in the kingdom providing non-kinetic assistance. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper travelled to Saudi Arabia for coordination talks and met the Crown Prince in Jeddah.
A senior Trump administration official said the immediate American objective was to preserve freedom of navigation in the Red Sea while leaving regional partners to take the lead on local security threats. Washington is weighing strikes should the Houthis deploy missile launchers and radar systems in newly captured positions overlooking the strait, Israel Hayom reported.
Israel plays down its role
The report of the Saudi approach caused little surprise in Israel, according to Israel Hayom. A senior Israeli security official was quoted as saying that intelligence and visual material contributed by all countries participating in CENTCOM’s joint operations centre, Israel included, is already distributed to all partners, among them Saudi Arabia.
Broader Israeli involvement was not expected at this stage, the official said, unless the United States decided to mount a large-scale offensive against the Houthis, in which case Israel could assist if asked.
Israel has its own stake in the waterway. The port of Eilat has been all but paralysed by Houthi attacks on shipping bound for Israel.
Separately, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia had also asked the UK for help in countering the Houthis at Bab al-Mandeb and in protecting its oil infrastructure. Britain has agreed to send military advisers but has not committed to further military support.
The Houthis declared an end to the 2022 truce in mid-July, blaming Saudi Arabia for an air strike on Sanaa airport, and announced a maritime blockade of the kingdom in the Red Sea. They have since intensified attacks on Saudi territory, including a drone strike on oil pipeline and pumping facilities.
SOURCE : SIASAT
