Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought assistance from countries in the region to confront Yemen’s Houthi movement, with the Saudi request allegedly reaching Tel Aviv indirectly through the US Central Command, CENTCOM, according to claims published by the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom.
In a report published on Sunday, the newspaper said bin Salman had asked Gulf states and Egypt for assistance in confronting the Houthis. It further claimed that Israel was approached indirectly through CENTCOM for intelligence and other forms of support aimed at preventing the Houthis from closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
According to Israel Hayom, diplomatic sources in the region said Saudi Arabia was facing what they described as an “almost unprecedented predicament”, with the Strait of Hormuz to the east, Bab al-Mandab to the south and the overland route leading to the Red Sea all facing simultaneous threats. These routes are linked to Saudi oil exports.
The newspaper claimed that pressure on Riyadh intensified after Saudi Arabia asked Washington for assistance in confronting the Houthis and halting their advance in the Bab al-Mandab area, but US President Donald Trump did not respond to the request for direct military intervention.
According to Israel Hayom, this position prompted Gulf states to look for alternatives.
The newspaper linked these developments to an anticipated meeting in Oman between Gulf foreign ministers and their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, saying the talks come amid efforts to find alternative arrangements as regional pressure grows.
It also said Omani and Iranian efforts to reach temporary arrangements concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz reflected the pressure facing Gulf states.
According to the newspaper’s assessment, Gulf countries are not moving towards joining the Iranian camp, but they cannot wait indefinitely for the United States to provide a solution. They are therefore seeking partial arrangements intended to reduce the risks confronting them.
Saudi Arabia had issued no official response to the claims published by Israel Hayom at the time the report was released.
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