Will the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis drag Israel into an escalation in the Middle East?
The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen raises concerns in Israel about a regional flare-up. The IDF has raised alert levels in the Air Force and Air Defense, and consultations have been held at the political level. Israel has approved the transfer of intelligence information to the Saudis through American mediation, but maintains a separation of arenas. The main concern: the Houthis will try to escape Saudi pressure by attacking Israel, which could also draw in Iran.
The sharp escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen is causing security concern in Israel, amid fears of a broad regional flare-up. In the past week, the Houthis launched barrages of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones toward Saudi Arabia, claiming they attempted to hit sensitive sites in Riyadh and facilities of the Saudi oil company Aramco. Saudi Arabia announced it intercepted missiles and thwarted additional attempts, and in response launched intense airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Simultaneously, the Houthis began a ground maneuver along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In Israel, consultations and situation assessments in the IDF have intensified over the past two days. Security officials do not rule out a scenario where the expansion of the conflict could also drag Israel into escalation, and no less severe, lead to an Iranian response. Consequently, alert levels were raised in the Air Force and air defense arrays, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate's warning models for the third circle were sharpened. The political echelon approved transferring intelligence information about the Houthis to the Saudis through American mediation, and simultaneously a dialogue developed on providing assistance in warning against drones and missiles, but no real progress has been made. The main concern is that Saudi pressure on the Houthis will increase, and they will try to escape it by attacking Israel. If the IDF responds, an extreme scenario could emerge where Iran also joins the circle of fire, which could also draw in the United States. At this stage, the separation of arenas is maintained, and Israel is not directly involved in the developments.