Khaberni - "Israel Today" newspaper claimed that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, directed Riyadh to contact Tel Aviv to request intelligence support in Bab el-Mandeb Strait with the aim of preventing the closure of this vital waterway for his country.
The Israeli newspaper wrote that bin Salman made appeals for help to Middle Eastern countries, Egypt, and Gulf states, and indirectly contacted Israel through the US Central Command "CENTCOM" to gain intelligence support to prevent the Houthis from closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The report by the newspaper also noted that the Saudi Prince warned of the global economic damages, as the strait connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and is traversed by oil tankers from the Gulf to Europe, and from the Saudi port of Yanbu to the east.
The threat led to Saudi Arabia having to redirect its tankers around Africa, and pipeline shipments were halted following the attacks. Egypt also warned of the impact of the blockade on the revenues of the Suez Canal, prompting Cairo to support the Saudi stance.
On the other hand, Pakistan and Turkey, which had signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia last month, limited themselves to mediation efforts and avoided confrontation with Iran. On the American front, President Donald Trump expressed reservations about direct military intervention, despite the visit of the commander of Central Command to Saudi Arabia. Washington is considering the option of air strikes against the Houthis, provided they deploy missile platforms at the locations they have controlled.
