Israel could join a broader regional military campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly offering Israeli assistance to Arab countries, according to a report by Lebanese newspaper Al Akbar, which cited US diplomatic sources.
The reported offer comes amid growing Israeli concerns over the Houthis' expanding presence along Yemen's western coast and their potential to threaten commercial shipping through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
According to Al Akbar, Netanyahu indicated that Israel could support countries in the Arabian Peninsula in efforts to counter the Houthi threat to shipping routes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. The report suggested that such cooperation could potentially draw Israel into a wider regional military campaign against the group.
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The Houthis have reportedly advanced in western Yemen, including gaining access to the strategic area around Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The development has raised concerns over the group's ability to exert pressure on one of the world's key maritime chokepoints.
Jerusalem Post said that an Israeli official separately warned that a Houthi takeover of the Bab al-Mandab Strait could pose a threat potentially more serious than the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Israel's N12, the official said the geography of Bab al-Mandab could allow the Houthis to target ships without sophisticated radar systems, potentially giving the group enormous power.
Israel has also been closely monitoring Houthi movements following the reported capture of Yemen's port city of Mocha, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to Maariv.
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Israeli officials fear that consolidating control over the port could allow the Houthis to increase pressure on oil tankers and commercial vessels, further disrupting Red Sea trade and energy routes.
Israel's military leadership has also issued warnings to the Houthis and Iran. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israel would not allow existential threats to emerge from radical enemies or terrorist groups.
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