Saudi Arabia seeks Israeli intelligence help against Houthi attacks

The brief

Context

Houthi forces have sharply escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, striking oil pipelines and pumping facilities, hitting civilians near the Yemen-Saudi border, seizing Red Sea islands and blocking Saudi vessels at the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In response, Riyadh has turned to outside partners: The Jerusalem Post reports Israel-Saudi talks mediated by US Central Command on intelligence assistance, while Bloomberg reports a Saudi request for British help at Bab al-Mandab. The crisis has also revived scrutiny of the August 7 Mecca mutual-defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, under which Pakistan is not currently preparing to send troops. An aerial strike on Thursday forced the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline, with the Strait of Hormuz largely blockaded.

Key facts

• Israel and Saudi Arabia held talks mediated by US Central Command on intelligence assistance against Houthi attacks, as cited by The Jerusalem Post.
• The Saudi request was likely focused on intelligence to map Houthi military deployments and identify potential future operations, JP sources said.
• Bloomberg reported Saudi Arabia also asked Britain to help repel the Houthis from the Bab al-Mandab Strait and defend its oil infrastructure.
• British military advisers have been agreed for Saudi Arabia, but no further aid has been committed, per Bloomberg.
• The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye mutual-defence pact was signed in Mecca on August 7; an attack on one is treated as an attack on all.
• The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said 13 civilians were wounded in Houthi attacks; emergency alerts were issued in the affected area and three other southern cities.
• An aerial attack on Thursday forced the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline, built in the 1980s and running 1,200 km (745 miles) from the Gulf to the Red Sea.
• Traders said a prolonged pipeline shutdown could cut off as much as 4% of global oil supplies while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blockaded.

Timeline

1. 1980sSaudi Arabia builds the 1,200-km east-west pipeline from the Gulf to the Red Sea to bypass the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran-Iraq war threats.
2. August 7Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye sign the Mecca mutual-defence pact providing for collective response and closer defence cooperation.
3. Past weekHouthis intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a drone strike on oil pipelines and pumping facilities, and an attack on civilians in a mosque near the border.
4. Recent daysHouthis seize Red Sea islands including Perim Island, block Saudi vessels at Bab al-Mandab and reinforce positions on Yemen's western coast.
5. ThursdayAn aerial attack forces the shutdown of the east-west pipeline; Riyadh blames Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
6. WednesdayPakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif says there should be no ambiguity over the pact's commitment; the foreign ministry later says no military response is under discussion.

Who has a stake

• Saudi Arabia — Defending oil infrastructure, exports and civilians; seeking intelligence and military assistance from Israel, the US and Britain.
• Israel — Potential intelligence provider, having already shown maritime intelligence and operational capability around the Strait of Hormuz.
• US Central Command — Mediator of the Israel-Saudi intelligence talks and recipient of Israeli intelligence on Iranian force locations.
• Houthis — Escalating strikes on Saudi territory and oil facilities, holding Red Sea islands and controlling passage at Bab al-Mandab.
• Pakistan — Bound by the Mecca pact's collective-defence clause but not deploying troops; balancing commitment with avoiding involvement in Yemen.
• Britain — Has agreed to send military advisers to Saudi Arabia but has not committed additional aid.
• Global oil markets and importers — A prolonged pipeline shutdown could cut up to 4% of global supplies with the Strait of Hormuz largely blockaded.
• Gulf Arab states and Iran — Gulf states postponed planned talks with Iran, raising fears of a wider conflict threatening oil supplies.

Why it matters

Saudi Arabia turning to Israel for intelligence, via US Central Command mediation, would mark an unusual security convergence in West Asia driven by a shared threat perception. With the east-west pipeline shut and the Strait of Hormuz largely blockaded, traders warn up to 4% of global oil supplies could be cut, a direct risk to import-dependent economies. The episode also tests whether the August 7 Mecca pact translates into real military commitments, with Pakistan so far declining to put boots on the ground.