Overview
- Israeli outlets and regional diplomats reported Tuesday that Israel has begun providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence on Houthi positions and operations routed through U.S. Central Command at Riyadh’s request.
- A U.S. official confirmed CENTCOM has stood up a task force to enhance intelligence sharing and planning support with Saudi forces to coordinate responses to Houthi threats.
- Houthi forces have seized Red Sea coastal towns and islands including Mocha and parts of Perim and Hanish, giving them greater reach over the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait and prompting increased Saudi airstrikes and Houthi missile and drone attacks into Saudi territory.
- Reports show a split in Israeli policy: Lebanese and Israeli media said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered Israel’s services, while senior IDF officials have privately urged against unilateral strikes and pushed for a broader international coalition.
- Humanitarian and legal stakes are rising as fighting displaces tens of thousands, causes hundreds of deaths, and Human Rights Watch says recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels most likely amount to war crimes, with regional leaders holding talks to defend shipping and avoid wider escalation.