Israel Shares Intelligence on Houthis with Saudi Arabia via US

Israel has begun providing intelligence on the Houthi rebels to Saudi Arabia, with the United States acting as an intermediary. The initiative followed a request from Riyadh to Washington, which then relayed it to Israeli officials. Israel agreed to share the information based on the assessment that the Houthi threat poses a broad regional problem.

This intelligence sharing is facilitated through American channels, according to a regional diplomat who spoke to Kan News. The initial request came from Saudi Arabia seeking assistance from the U.S., which subsequently approached Israel. Israeli security officials perceive the Houthis as a significant regional threat.

Concurrently, security discussions took place in Cairo on the sidelines of a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Representatives from the U.S. Central Command participated in these talks, proposing the establishment of a regional directorate to coordinate responses against the Yemeni rebels.

A foreign source familiar with the discussions indicated that American representatives, during recent visits to Israel and subsequent meetings in Egypt, highlighted Israel's capacity to supply substantial, high-quality intelligence on Houthi operations. This intelligence capability stems partly from the Israeli security establishment's operational experience gained since the Houthis opened an active front against Israel following the October 7th events. The primary objective of sharing this intelligence is to ensure the continued freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.