Israeli media: KSA unlikely to cooperate with US against Yemen

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
10 Dec 2023 10:48
6 Shares

Riyadh fears that a confrontation with Yemen will threaten the ongoing peace process.

An Ansar Allah helicopter is shown here approaching the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on Sunday, November 19, 2023. (AP)

Israeli media reports that the escalating situation in Yemen and Iraq poses a real dilemma for the United States.

Haaretz expressed concerns about Yemeni threats amid the Ansar Allah's actions against Israeli tankers in support of Palestine, stating that "the Yemeni threat to prohibit any ship from heading to Israel has been elevated into an international strategic level."

The Israeli newspaper said that these threats could ignite an international military confrontation in the Red Sea. The daily points out that the American and Israeli presence in the Red Sea seems to be "failing to deter them," suggesting that "a significant show of force may be required in the near future."

Citing Reuters and Bloomberg, the Israeli newspaper said that Riyadh is pleading with Washinton to exercise restraint in its retaliation against Sanaa for the sake of finalizing the peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Fears of Aramco being targeted

According to the newspaper, Riyadh and Washington fear that a wide-ranging confrontation with Ansar Allah could freeze diplomatic movements and lead to a resumption of Yemeni attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia, which peaked in March 2022 in attacks on Aramco's oil facilities.

Among Saudi Arabia's other concerns, according to Haaretz, is that "an American attack on the Yemenis may harm relations between Riyadh and Tehran, at a time when the countries are slowly restoring diplomatic relations after the rapprochement in March last year."

For this reason, according to the newspaper, Saudi Arabia is not in a hurry to cooperate with the United States' request to join a multinational force aimed at ensuring navigation security in the Red Sea.

Iraq situation 'most complicated'

The Israeli newspaper also spoke of its fears of multiple fronts, including Iraq. After the US attacked an Iraqi drone site, the Iraqis responded a week after.

The newspaper stated that "six mortar shells were fired at the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, and five other attacks on US targets in Syria were carried out."

According to the estimates reported by the newspaper, "there is an American compulsion to tiptoe when choosing how and where to respond to attacks coming from Iraq against US forces in the region."

Haaretz described the situation in Iraq as "the most complicated," especially in light of "criticism in the United States about what appears to be Biden's failure to protect American interests and forces."

Ansar Allah: All ships bound for 'Israel' prohibited

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Saturday the introduction of a new actionable decision in support of Gaza, which will see the prohibition of all ships bound to the occupation entity, regardless of their nationality, from passing through the Arabian and Red Seas until food and medicine sufficient to the needs of the population enter the besieged Strip.

In a statement, Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree declared that this prohibition is "effective immediately," noting that Sanaa, "out of its commitment to the safety of maritime navigation, warns all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports."

"The Yemeni Armed Forces emphasize their full commitment to the continuity of global trade movement through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea for all ships and all countries, except those ships associated with Israel or those that will transport goods" to the occupation entity.

It is worth noting that the spokesperson did not void the earlier equation, which constitutes that the Yemeni army will continue targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea until the war on Gaza stops.

Commenting on the announcement, Israeli media confirmed that Sanaa preventing any ship from reaching Israeli ports is considered "an escalation and a very serious event," calling it a significant issue for the entire world. This entails a recognition of the size of the impact this announcement may cause.