US President Donald Trump has backed Israel’s offer to help Saudi Arabia fight Yemen’s Houthi movement, saying he expects Riyadh to accept the assistance.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on October 16, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should take up Israel’s offer to help counter the Houthis.
“Yes, I do, sure. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” Trump said, according to The Times of Israel. He added that he believed Saudi Arabia would accept the offer.
Trump Says Saudi Arabia Could Join Abraham Accords
Trump also suggested that Saudi Arabia could be closer than ever to normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
Asked whether Saudi Arabia’s participation in the agreements was back on the table, he replied, “Yeah, I think so. Maybe more than ever.”
Trump described the accords as one of his administration’s major achievements and said Saudi Arabia was pleased to have support from both Israel and the United States.
Signed in 2020, the Abraham Accords established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. Saudi Arabia has not established diplomatic ties with Israel and has maintained that normalization depends on the creation of a Palestinian state.
Reports Say Saudi Arabia Rejected Israel’s Offer
Trump’s comments follow a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz on October 12 that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had rejected an Israeli proposal to join the military campaign against the Houthis.
Citing an unnamed diplomatic source, the report said the proposal was conveyed through US mediation and that the crown prince was concerned about a potential public backlash in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities have not publicly commented on that report or Trump’s latest statements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also suggested this week that regional countries were seeking Israeli assistance. Asked whether Saudi Arabia had requested help, Netanyahu said that “there are barely any Middle Eastern states that aren’t asking us for help.”
Houthi Attacks Increase Pressure on Saudi Arabia
The discussion comes amid escalating Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. A strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300, making it the kingdom’s deadliest attack in more than a decade.
Another strike the following day killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others.
The airport remained closed until October 17, disrupting flights operated by airlines across Europe and Asia.
The attacks have renewed questions about Saudi Arabia’s security options and its relationship with Israel, with analysts previously suggesting that continued Houthi pressure could bring the two countries closer together.
