Amid Houthi threat, Israeli, US & Arab states' military commanders held secret meeting – report

Summary

The article reports that Israel and several Gulf and Arab states may be expanding security cooperation amid the Houthi takeover of territory in southern Yemen and attacks affecting regional infrastructure. It says the Iran-backed Houthis captured areas near the Bab el-Mandeb strait and nearby islands, while Iran-aligned Iraqi militias damaged a Saudi oil pipeline used as an alternative export route through the Red Sea. According to Ynet News and Axios, Israel is reportedly passing intelligence on Houthi targets to Saudi Arabia through the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), with further Israeli support under discussion. Israel has publicly confirmed deploying Iron Dome personnel and providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assistance to the United Arab Emirates. The article also describes a Germany meeting attended by senior military leaders from Israel, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt. CENTCOM confirmed hosting senior leaders from eight nations but did not publicly detail all reported discussions. Israeli Ambassador to the UAE Yossi Shelley characterized the crisis as an opportunity to improve ties with Saudi Arabia and predicted that another country could join the Abraham Accords within four to six months, possibly Kuwait. The article notes that Kuwait’s political environment makes normalization difficult and that Saudi Arabia has not yet joined the accords.