Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Saudi officials on Thursday to allow Israeli forces to hit Houthi positions, an unprecedented request that could shift the balance in Yemen.
The plea came after a ballistic missile slammed into Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing 12 and wounding 309. Netanyahu called the strike a “horrific terrorist attack” and offered condolences to the victims.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has flatly rejected the idea, warning that Israeli involvement would spark domestic backlash and undermine Riyadh’s push for a Palestinian state—a condition Saudi Arabia insists on before any normalization.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged a Saudi‑Israeli rapprochement under the Abraham Accords, but the 2023 tentative accord unraveled after Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault. The current mediation is a fragile attempt to revive stalled talks.
If Riyadh grants permission, Israel could join the coalition, potentially opening a new front against the Houthis and accelerating regional realignments. The decision will likely be announced in the coming weeks, with the United States poised to broker further talks.