Saudi Arabia turns to Israel as Houthi attacks expose limits of the Mecca Pact - opinion

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia expose the limits of the Mecca Pact, as Turkey and Pakistan show reluctance to intervene. Saudi Arabia turns to the US and, via CENTCOM, to Israel for intelligence assistance against the Houthis, marking a significant step in covert Saudi-Israeli military cooperation without formal normalization.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which began with a major wave on September 8, 2026, have exposed the limits of the Mecca Pact, a joint defense agreement signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The pact, modeled on NATO's Article 5, lacks an automatic military response clause, and its full text has not been released. Turkey and Pakistan have shown reluctance to intervene militarily in Yemen. In response, Saudi Arabia has turned to the US and, via CENTCOM, to Israel for intelligence assistance. CENTCOM hosted a conference in Germany during the week of September 7, bringing together IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt. The discussions focused on the US-Israeli war with Iran and regional security. Axios reported that Israel and Saudi Arabia began discussing Israeli ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) support against the Houthis, similar to Israel's existing assistance to the UAE. On September 14, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah. The US agreed to provide targeted assistance but declined direct strikes. The Jerusalem Post reported on September 15 that CENTCOM-mediated discussions about Israeli intelligence assistance were underway. The arrangement represents a major step in Saudi-Israeli military normalization without formal diplomatic relations, though Saudi sources indicate Riyadh still resists movement on normalization.