Trump: Israel Has Been ‘Very Helpful’ to Saudi Arabia Against Houthis — Abraham Accords ‘More Than Ever’ Possible

President Donald Trump said Friday that Israel has been assisting Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and suggested the kingdom may be closer than ever to joining the Abraham Accords, amid an escalating offensive against the kingdom. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israeli assistance in its fight against the Houthis. “Yeah, I do. I think they will. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” Trump said. Trump’s remarks amounted to a public acknowledgment of Israeli assistance to Saudi Arabia, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Asked whether Saudi Arabia’s entry into the Abraham Accords was back on the table, Trump suggested the prospect of normalization was stronger than ever. “Yeah, I think so. Maybe more than ever,” Trump said. “The Abraham Accords is one of our great achievements. I would say maybe more than ever. But Saudi Arabia is very happy to have Israel’s support and our support.” Trump’s comments come as Iran-backed Houthi terrorists intensify attacks across Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities and military installations in an offensive that has killed civilians, disrupted international travel and threatened the kingdom’s critical infrastructure. The offensive included a devastating missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport last weekend, with Saudi-led coalition officials reporting Thursday that repeated strikes on the airport this month had killed 17 people and wounded 333. The attacks continued Friday, with Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki reporting the interception of a ballistic missile headed toward Yanbu, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones targeting the kingdom. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert Friday warning of potential attacks on Saudi airports and flight disruptions, while requiring U.S. government personnel to obtain special authorization before traveling through the kingdom’s airports. Against that backdrop, Trump’s acknowledgment of Israeli assistance underscored the growing security cooperation between Jerusalem and Riyadh as the Houthi threat intensifies. Israeli media reported last month that Saudi Arabia had sought U.S. assistance against the Houthis and was receiving Israeli intelligence through U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), including intelligence aimed at countering threats to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The reported cooperation has centered on intelligence-sharing, but American officials have also explored the possibility of direct Israeli military action against the Houthis. According to ynet, U.S. officials raised the possibility of Israeli strikes with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who cautioned that such operations could risk a broader confrontation with Iran. The expanding security relationship could also bolster Trump’s longstanding effort to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords, the landmark U.S.-brokered agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, during his first administration in 2020. Saudi Arabia has long been considered the most significant potential addition to the accords, with U.S.-backed normalization talks gaining momentum before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel disrupted the process. Trump renewed that push earlier this year, linking expanded U.S.–Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation to the kingdom joining the accords. Trump’s comments Friday linked Israel’s growing security cooperation with Saudi Arabia to renewed prospects for the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords, potentially advancing one of his administration’s most ambitious Middle East diplomatic goals. Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.