DOMINANT ANGLE
Israel is gauging the risk of a US-Iranian compromise that would leave Riyadh exposed to the Houthis, and is already passing on military intelligence to the Saudis through Washington.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Israel and Saudi Arabia have held US CENTCOM-mediated talks for Israeli intelligence assistance against the Houthis (Jerusalem Post).
- 02
According to Arutz Sheva, Israel is now transmitting military intelligence to Riyadh via Washington, based on the idea that the Houthi threat is a regional problem.
- 03
The Houthis have seized several strategic islands in the Red Sea and blocked the passage of Saudi ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, in addition to a drone strike that partially halted a Saudi oil pipeline.
ANALYSIS
Jérusalem, September 16, 2026. As the Strait of Hormuz becomes congested and the Houthists step up their strikes on Saudi territory, Israel is taking a discreet approach. According to the Jerusalem Post, talks have been held between Israel and Saudi Arabia, mediated by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), to help Riyadh defend itself against the Houthist threat through intelligence assistance. These exchanges, reported by "diplomatic sources in the Middle East", come as the Houthists intensified their attacks on the kingdom last week, including a drone strike on pipelines and oil pumping facilities, causing a partial shutdown of activity on the main oil pipeline, as well as an attack on civilians near a mosque close to the Yemeni border.
The Arutz Sheva website specifies that this channel remains indirect: Israel is now transmitting intelligence to Riyadh via Washington, based on the idea that the Houthist threat is a regional problem and no longer just a Yemeni one. The Jerusalem Post notes that the Israeli army "has already demonstrated its intelligence and operational capabilities in the maritime space around the Strait of Hormuz", by helping the Americans build layers of intelligence on the positions of Iranian forces — expertise that Riyadh is now seeking to benefit from.
The regional situation is darkening as the Houthists seize strategically located islands in the Red Sea and block the passage of Saudi ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, imposing what sources describe as an economic and diplomatic blockade on the kingdom. This situation is fueling, according to the Jerusalem Post, a shared concern among other countries in the region: that of a scenario where Washington reaches agreements with Iran and the Houthists, leaving Saudi Arabia and its neighbors exposed to unresolved threats.
On the military front, Haaretz reports that six Saudi cities, including Yanbu, the kingdom's main oil port on the Red Sea, received emergency alerts before the civil defense confirmed a return to calm in Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla, and Taif. Around the Strait of Hormuz, the Jerusalem Post also reports the explosion of an oil tanker after a collision with mines claimed by Iran, denied by the US CENTCOM, which instead suggests an Iranian missile and drone strike on the ship.
SOURCES (3)
- Jerusalem PostMEDIUM
- Arutz ShevaMEDIUM
- Haaretz EnglishMEDIUM
