AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom claimed that Saudi Arabia has requested intelligence assistance from the Zionist regime and a number of regional countries to prevent the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait from being closed by Yemeni armed forces.
According to this report, citing anonymous diplomatic sources, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, following the escalation of Yemen's military pressure on regional countries, has turned indirectly to Tel Aviv. Riyadh has also contacted the Zionist regime, some Arab Gulf states, and Egypt through the US Central Command (CENTCOM), requesting "intelligence assistance and other support" to prevent the closure of Bab al-Mandab.
Saudi Concern Over Threats to Oil Export Routes
Based on this assessment, Saudi Arabia finds itself in an unprecedented situation, simultaneously facing threats to three strategic routes for its oil exports: the Strait of Hormuz in the east, Bab al-Mandab in the south, and the land route leading to the Red Sea.
Disruption in these routes could seriously challenge the transfer of Saudi oil and its connection to global markets, an issue that has increased Riyadh's concern about military developments around Bab al-Mandab.
Meanwhile, Riyadh had previously asked Washington to intervene to confront Ansarullah and prevent the advance of Yemeni forces in the Bab al-Mandab region, but Donald Trump, the President of the United States, did not agree to direct military involvement in this conflict.
Riyadh's Doubt About US Support
This situation, according to Israel Hayom, carries a worrying message for Saudi Arabia; a country under pressure from multiple axes while its export routes are threatened, yet its main ally, America, shows little inclination to meet Riyadh's expectations.
Bab al-Mandab has become one of the important points of confrontation between Yemeni armed forces and America and the Zionist regime in recent years. The importance of this strait for Saudi Arabia is not limited to its geographical location, and its security is directly linked to the country's energy transfer and trade routes.
However, no independent details about the nature or extent of the assistance requested by Saudi Arabia have been published.
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