Israel has reportedly begun supplying Saudi Arabia with intelligence on Yemen's Houthis through U.S. intermediaries, signaling rare indirect security cooperation between the two countries as concerns mount over threats to regional shipping.
The intelligence-sharing arrangement followed a Saudi request for U.S. assistance, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Tuesday, citing a regional diplomat familiar with the contacts.
According to the report, Washington subsequently approached Israeli officials, who agreed to provide intelligence on the Houthis on the grounds that the group poses a wider regional security threat.
The reported cooperation comes despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Central Command representatives also took part in security discussions held on the sidelines of a meeting in Cairo between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, according to the report.
During the talks, U.S. officials reportedly proposed creating a regional command structure and coordination mechanism aimed at strengthening joint responses to Houthi operations.
A foreign official familiar with the contacts said U.S. representatives had told participants that Israel possessed significant intelligence on Houthi forces and infrastructure, drawing in part on information accumulated during its military confrontation with the Yemen-based group.
The reported intelligence cooperation is primarily intended to help protect freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have carried out attacks against Israel and vessels in and around the Red Sea since the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023.
Neither Saudi nor Israeli authorities had publicly confirmed the reported intelligence-sharing arrangement.
