October 23, 2026
Security cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia is expanding to confront the Houthi group in Yemen, in light of rapid regional transformations. An Israeli security official confirmed, in statements reported by journalist Amir Boukhbout on the Israeli Walla website, that the Israeli intelligence community continues to provide qualitative information to the Saudi army and contribute to building a bank of targets inside Yemen, with American mediation and under direct guidance from the political level and based on a “national interest.”
The official explained that this cooperation reflects the dynamics of the Shiite-Sunni confrontation beneath the surface of the transformations in the Middle East, pointing out that other Sunni countries are monitoring the Houthi escalation against Saudi Arabia, which is supported by Iran, and realize that it may be the next target. Saudi Arabia is carrying out large-scale attacks targeting a bank of targets in areas controlled by the Houthis to reduce their military capabilities and infrastructure.
Regarding the Israeli gains from this cooperation, the security official pointed out two basic points: The first is to exhaust the military power of an enemy that plans to attack Israel in the future, and the second is related to monitoring methods and methods of work and learning from them, including dealing with advanced weapons that are not necessarily produced by the Houthis. He added that the ongoing Saudi attacks impose huge challenges on the Houthis and exhaust their ability to operate at the current size.
The official considered that the pressures on Saudi Arabia are reshaping alliances in the Middle East and opening the door to new opportunities, noting that there is a fear among some countries of interference in the interest of Riyadh, but Israeli estimates indicate that such interference is likely to occur and that all possibilities are still open.
In parallel, the Israeli army is completing its field preparations on land, sea, and air, as well as the electromagnetic spectrum, in anticipation of a multi-front confrontation scenario that may include the Houthis, Iran, Hezbollah, and Shiite factions in Iraq. These preparations include integrating new technologies and sensors, and enhancing coordination and connectivity between Israeli military services and their American counterparts.
The report pointed out that there is a direct American interest in protecting the Israeli home front, given the presence of thousands of American soldiers and military and defense systems inside Israel. Thus, Israeli, Saudi, and American interests are intertwined in a single security and intelligence testing ground, through which Tel Aviv seeks to exhaust the capabilities of the Houthis from a distance, in parallel with preparing for the possibility of an expansion of the regional confrontation.
