Saudi Arabia Rejects Israeli Help as Trump Makes New Claim on Houthi Militia Conflict

US President Donald Trump has said that Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia, raising questions about possible cooperation between the two countries amid tensions over Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Trump’s remarks came just days after Israeli media reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had rejected an offer of direct Israeli military assistance against the Houthis.

On October 16, while speaking to reporters as he left the White House, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israel’s offer of help against the Houthis.

“Yes, absolutely! I think they will. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” Trump replied.

However, Trump did not explain what kind of assistance Israel had provided to Saudi Arabia, when the cooperation took place, or whether it involved military operations, intelligence sharing or other forms of support.

Report Says Saudi Arabia Rejected Israeli Military Assistance

On October 13, Anadolu Agency, citing Israeli newspaper Haaretz, reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had rejected a proposal for Israel to become directly involved in military operations against the Houthis.

According to the report, an unnamed diplomatic source said Saudi Arabia was not interested in direct Israeli military assistance because it could trigger a negative reaction among the Saudi public.

The report also said Israel wanted to use US mediation to establish military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, potentially helping pave the way for normalising relations between the two countries.

However, Saudi officials had not publicly commented on the report at the time. The claim was based on Israeli media sources and was not an official Saudi government announcement.

Trump Suggests Closer Saudi-Israeli Relations

Trump also expressed optimism about the possibility of Saudi Arabia establishing diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. He said the possibility was real and might be stronger than before.

However, his remarks did not confirm that an agreement between the two countries was close or that Saudi Arabia had agreed to military cooperation with Israel.

Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations. The issue of Palestinian statehood has remained a key obstacle in discussions about normalising ties.

Questions Remain Over Possible Cooperation

The conflicting reports have raised questions about the nature of any possible cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Rejecting direct Israeli military involvement would not necessarily rule out other forms of assistance, such as intelligence sharing or defensive support. However, there is no confirmed information in the reports establishing that such cooperation has taken place.

With concerns over Houthi attacks and regional security, Saudi Arabia’s defence arrangements and Israel’s possible role have attracted renewed attention.

For now, Trump’s remarks do not confirm that Saudi Arabia has accepted Israeli military assistance against the Houthis. Further clarification from the governments involved would be needed to establish the nature and extent of any cooperation.