ISLAMABAD – US President Donald Trump made a striking pitch to Saudi Arabia to accept Israel’s help against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Calling Israeli support very helpful, Trump hinted that a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal could be closer than ever, even as Riyadh maintains that Palestinian statehood remains key and Iran offers to help end the conflict.
US President Donald Trump urged Saudi Arabia to accept Israel’s assistance against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, adding a new dimension to regional tensions as speculation grows over a possible normalization agreement between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israeli support in operations against the Houthis. “Yes, absolutely. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” he replied, hinting at cooperation between two countries amid continuing regional security concerns.
Trump’s remarks also revived questions about whether Saudi Arabia could move closer to formally normalizing relations with Israel, a diplomatic breakthrough that has remained elusive despite previous efforts backed by Washington.
Asked whether Saudi Arabia’s potential entry into the Abraham Accords was being reconsidered, Trump expressed optimism, saying, “Yes, I think it could happen. Perhaps it is even more likely than before.” He called Abraham Accords “one of our great achievements,” referring to the agreements brokered through US efforts in 2020 that established or normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
Trump further claimed that Saudi Arabia was pleased with the support of both Israel and the United States.
Before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Saudi Arabia and Israel had been widely viewed as moving closer to a possible normalization agreement. However, the diplomatic landscape has since been complicated by the Gaza war and the wider regional conflict.
Riyadh has consistently maintained that clear progress toward the establishment of a Palestinian state is necessary for normalizing relations with Israel, making the future of any agreement dependent on broader political and security considerations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also made comments that have drawn attention to the possibility of regional cooperation. Asked in an interview with Israeli media on Tuesday whether Saudi Arabia had requested assistance from Israel, Netanyahu responded, according to The Times of Israel, “There is hardly a state in the Middle East that is not asking us for help.”
His remarks came amid heightened attention to the security implications of Houthi activities and the potential role of Israel in addressing threats facing countries across the region.
However, Netanyahu’s statement, as reported, did not explicitly confirm that Saudi Arabia had formally requested Israeli assistance.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected allegations linking it to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and expressed readiness to help resolve the conflict if the relevant parties request its involvement.
Trump makes Saudi Nuclear Deal Conditional on normalizing ties with Israel
