As the Houthis continue to seize territory along the southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia has appealed to countries across the Middle East—and indirectly to Israel—for help preventing a Houthi blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Yisrael Hayom reported.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke to representatives in the Gulf states and Egypt and approached Israel through the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for intelligence and other assistance.

Bin Salman is warning that closing the strait would severely harm the region and the global economy. Bab al-Mandeb connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Eilat. Oil tankers, LNG carriers and cargo ships travel through the strait in both directions, carrying Gulf oil to Europe and transporting Saudi oil eastward from Yanbu through the kingdom’s East-West pipeline.

Saudi Arabia has already been forced to reroute tankers around Africa, and the kingdom announced that it was halting pipeline shipments following recent attacks.

Saudi officials warned that the crisis is not merely a Saudi problem but a global one, emphasizing that the economic fallout from closing Bab al-Mandeb could be even greater than the consequences of closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Diplomatic officials say Riyadh and Jerusalem are already engaged in indirect—and possibly secret, direct—talks. Israel is expected to proceed cautiously, concerned that deeper involvement could trigger renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks.

Meanwhile, Riyadh warned Cairo that closing the critical strait would leave Egypt hostage to the Houthis, as a blockade would severely affect Suez Canal revenues. Cairo agrees with the Saudi position and has independently appealed to Washington to strike the Houthis.

For now, the United States is reluctant to intervene directly. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia to assess the situation, but officials say President Donald Trump remains hesitant to provide direct military support.

Nevertheless, Washington is considering airstrikes against Houthi forces now positioned above Bab al-Mandeb, but only if they deploy radar systems or missile launchers at the captured sites, according to an official familiar with the discussions.

In a surprise counteroffensive last week, Houthi forces captured the strategic port city of Mokha and seized Zuqar Island from Saudi-backed forces. Entire brigades collapsed, and Yemeni troops were taken captive. The Houthis also expanded their control along the Red Sea and began targeting Perim, or Mayyun, Island—the historic “Gate of Tears” at the entrance to Bab al-Mandeb.

Gulf officials say Saudi Arabia mishandled the campaign, including by attacking UAE-backed militias in southern Yemen that oppose the Houthis. Those attacks deepened the rift between Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and further weakened anti-Houthi forces.

Iran, which supports the Houthis, is believed to be exploiting the crisis to disrupt global trade and drive up fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, with the goal of weakening Trump’s congressional majority.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)