Saudi turns to Israel for help against Houthis
Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in the affected area and three other southern cities, while 13 civilians were wounded in the Houthi attacks, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. Yemeni officials said the group launched a fresh wave of attacks on Saudi territory while reinforcing positions along Yemen’s western coast on the Red Sea, as Saudi Arabia held urgent discussions in Riyadh on how to respond to the advances.
The Saudi request for assistance was likely focused on intelligence support to develop a broader picture of Houthi military deployments in the area and identify potential plans for future operations, according to sources cited by JP. The Israeli military has already demonstrated intelligence and operational capabilities in the maritime arena around the Strait of Hormuz, assisting the US in building intelligence on the locations of Iranian forces, the sources said. He said the pact’s collective-defence provisions could be activated in the event of an unprovoked attack on any member or if the conflict in Yemen spills over into Saudi Arabia.
However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry later clarified that no military response under the agreement was currently under discussion. The Houthis also attacked Saudi civilians inside a mosque and nearby buildings close to the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that there should be no ambiguity over the commitment under the agreement.
Impact of Pipeline Shutdown on Global Oil Supply
Traders are warning that a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline could potentially disrupt up to 4% of global oil supplies. This situation is exacerbated by the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for oil transport. As of now, Riyadh has not provided a timeline for when pipeline operations are expected to resume.