Houthi advance and Saudi isolation reshape Red Sea balance
Commentator Zvika Yehezkeli tells Saudi Arabia 'they will pay the price' as Houthi forces seize islands near Bab al-Mandeb.
Houthi advance and Saudi isolation reshape Red Sea balance — Commentator Zvika Yehezkeli delivered a harsh message to Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks on the kingdom, saying, "Don't rush to help the Saudis. Iran is fighting Saudi Arabia through the Houthis, through the most important energy source in the world - oil. They should pay the price." [^1] Yehezkeli accused the Saudis of hypocrisy and cunning, adding, "You should not make agreements with them because they will flip the moment they feel comfortable." [^1] The remark comes as Houthi forces advance along the Red Sea coast, seizing islands near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. [^2] Saudi Arabia carried out two airstrikes targeting the Al-Barah Bridge in the Makbanah area of Taiz province, southwestern Yemen, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel. [^2] The strikes appear reactive rather than preemptive, underscoring the kingdom's difficulty in containing the Houthi threat without direct ground allies. [^2] A separate analysis notes that Houthi drone strikes have left Saudi Arabia isolated in a major conflict, with no unified regional response. [^3] The Houthis maneuvered tens of thousands of fighters into position around September 8 before their offensive, and the group's commander Abdul Malik al-Houthi has been elevated amid the Red Sea offensive. [^3] The JPost analysis contrasts with Yehezkeli's framing: where Yehezkeli sees Saudi Arabia as a fair-weather partner that should be left to suffer, the analysis highlights the strategic vacuum left by the absence of a coordinated Saudi-led coalition. [^3] The Houthi advance and Saudi vulnerability raise an open question: can Riyadh defend its southern border and Red Sea interests without either US air support or a ground partner in Yemen, or will the Houthi momentum force a recalculation of Saudi foreign policy? [^2][^3] Anti-tank missiles, drug stings, and a murder probe: 12 hours of Israeli crime — Masked individuals fired an anti-tank missile at the home of a Border Police officer in the Galilee town of Sajur over the weekend, an attack the Shin Bet investigated but determined had a personal, not natio