Netanyahu offered to join strikes against Houthis, stop advance, US source claim – report

According to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akbar, citing US diplomatic sources, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered Israeli assistance to countries in the Arabian Peninsula, indicating Israel's potential involvement in a broader campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen. This comes as the Houthis advance in western Yemen, reaching the strategic island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which could tighten their control over vital shipping routes. An Israeli official warned that Houthi control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait could be more dangerous than the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, stating, “They will be able to fire at whatever they want with anti-tank missiles. They will be able to see the ships with their own eyes.” Israel is closely monitoring Houthi movements, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Israel Navy commander V. Adm. Eyal Harel issuing direct warnings to the Houthis and Iran. The IDF recently completed a large-scale exercise in Eilat simulating a mass infiltration by sea, air, and land involving Houthi fighters and pro-Iranian militias.