Washington: US President Donald Trump has said Saudi Arabia should accept Israel's offer to help in the fight against Houthi rebels, describing Israel's support to the kingdom as "very helpful" amid escalating regional hostilities.
Answering reporters before a rally in Georgia at the White House, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israel's offer. "Yeah, I do, sure. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia," he said.
Abraham Accords back in focus
Trump also said the Abraham Accords of 2020 — the agreements that normalised relations between Israel and several Arab countries — could see Saudi Arabia join the framework. "Maybe more than ever," he said. "The Abraham Accords is one of our great achievements. And, yeah, I would say maybe more than ever. But Saudi Arabia is very happy to have Israel's support and our support. Yeah."
The remarks follow an interview with Israeli media earlier in the week in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked whether Saudi Arabia had sought Israel's help. "There are barely any Middle Eastern states that aren't asking us for help," Netanyahu said, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel and Saudi Arabia were considered close to reaching a normalisation agreement before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that normalisation with Israel would require a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.
Escalation on the ground
Meanwhile, Iran has denied involvement in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed readiness to help resolve differences, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was prepared to use its capabilities to end the conflict if requested by the parties, and claimed the Yemeni armed forces act in their own interests.
Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the Houthi militia on Friday of targeting Aden International Airport with two missiles that landed near a Yemenia Airlines aircraft preparing to take off to Cairo, according to Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed Saudi warplanes had carried out 101 airstrikes and missile strikes targeting civilian assets across Yemen in the preceding 24 hours, with the total reaching 2,489 since the escalation began — claims that have not been independently verified.
The Saudi-led coalition, for its part, claimed to have intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Yanbu, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones in Saudi Arabia, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security advisory on Friday warning American citizens about potential attacks on airports, airspace closures and flight disruptions.
Sources: Republic World — Trump Says Saudi Arabia Should Accept Israel's 'Helpful' Offer Against Houthis
Answering reporters before a rally in Georgia at the White House, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israel's offer. "Yeah, I do, sure. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia," he said.
Abraham Accords back in focus
Trump also said the Abraham Accords of 2020 — the agreements that normalised relations between Israel and several Arab countries — could see Saudi Arabia join the framework. "Maybe more than ever," he said. "The Abraham Accords is one of our great achievements. And, yeah, I would say maybe more than ever. But Saudi Arabia is very happy to have Israel's support and our support. Yeah."
The remarks follow an interview with Israeli media earlier in the week in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked whether Saudi Arabia had sought Israel's help. "There are barely any Middle Eastern states that aren't asking us for help," Netanyahu said, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel and Saudi Arabia were considered close to reaching a normalisation agreement before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that normalisation with Israel would require a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.
Escalation on the ground
Meanwhile, Iran has denied involvement in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed readiness to help resolve differences, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was prepared to use its capabilities to end the conflict if requested by the parties, and claimed the Yemeni armed forces act in their own interests.
Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the Houthi militia on Friday of targeting Aden International Airport with two missiles that landed near a Yemenia Airlines aircraft preparing to take off to Cairo, according to Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed Saudi warplanes had carried out 101 airstrikes and missile strikes targeting civilian assets across Yemen in the preceding 24 hours, with the total reaching 2,489 since the escalation began — claims that have not been independently verified.
The Saudi-led coalition, for its part, claimed to have intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Yanbu, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones in Saudi Arabia, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security advisory on Friday warning American citizens about potential attacks on airports, airspace closures and flight disruptions.
Sources: Republic World — Trump Says Saudi Arabia Should Accept Israel's 'Helpful' Offer Against Houthis
