Saudi Arabia Faces Unprecedented Houthi Threats, Seeks Israeli Intelligence Aid

Saudi Arabia sounded widespread air raid sirens across multiple regions, including the holy city of Mecca for the first time, on Tuesday, September 15, following a series of Houthi attacks. While initial reports did not confirm any impacts, the Saudi-led coalition later announced that its air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki emphasized that Mecca's security is a "red line" for Saudi Arabia. The scale of the alerts was unprecedented since the recent escalation, with sirens activated in six cities simultaneously, including Yanbu, a major oil port.

In the past week, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for significant attacks on Saudi Arabia, including an airbase strike and an assault that injured 13 civilians. More critically, the Houthis have rapidly advanced along Yemen's western coast, capturing the strategic port of Mocha, Perim Island, and gaining control of much of the Red Sea coastline. This advance positions them to influence the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping lane. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on this route for oil exports after reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to tensions with Iran.

Adding to Saudi Arabia's challenges, a drone attack on Friday disabled the 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline, a key alternative export route for Saudi oil. While Riyadh attributed this attack to an Iran-backed group in Iraq, not the Houthis, the disruption could remove up to 4% of global oil supplies if not quickly repaired. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright estimated the pipeline would be operational within days and confirmed U.S. military assistance to increase oil exports bypassing Hormuz, a task now complicated by the Bab el-Mandeb threat. Oil prices, specifically Brent crude, surged past $108 per barrel, a level not seen since May.

The UN Security Council discussed the Bab el-Mandeb situation on September 15, with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia condemning the Houthi actions as threats to global energy security and international trade. Saudi Arabia has formally requested military support from the United States, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly contacting President Donald Trump. While U.S. aid has so far been limited to intelligence sharing, Israeli media, citing a regional diplomat, reported that the U.S. has relayed Saudi Arabia's request for assistance to Israel. Israel has reportedly begun providing intelligence on the Houthis to Saudi Arabia via the U.S.

Direct communication between Jerusalem and Riyadh is absent, with Washington acting as an intermediary. U.S. officials, during a recent visit to Israel and subsequent meetings in Cairo, suggested Israel could offer significant intelligence on the Houthis, leveraging information gathered since October 7. The primary goal of this potential cooperation is to ensure the security of shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Security talks involving U.S. Central Command representatives also took place in Cairo on September 15, alongside meetings between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The U.S. proposed a joint regional mechanism to counter the Houthis, and both leaders emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed their forces had expelled pro-Saudi units from six areas totaling 5,400 square kilometers in the Taiz and Hodeidah provinces since September 3. Saree stated that while the Bab el-Mandeb would not be completely closed, only non-Saudi vessels would be allowed passage, describing it as a "blockade in response to a blockade." This multifaceted crisis places Saudi Arabia under pressure from attacks on its territory, the loss of secure oil routes through Hormuz, damage to the East-West pipeline, and the Houthi threat at the Bab el-Mandeb, with Israeli intelligence potentially playing a role in Riyadh's response.