US President Donald Trump said Friday that normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia was “back on the table,” saying Riyadh was pleased with Israeli and American support against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Houthi escalates strikes against Saudi Arabian instrastructure
“Maybe more than ever,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. “Saudi Arabia is very happy to have Israel’s support and our support.”
Asked whether Riyadh should accept Israeli assistance against the Houthis, Trump said he believed it would. “Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” he added, without specifying what assistance Israel had provided.
His comments followed a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on energy infrastructure and Riyadh’s international airport that disrupted flights and threatened the kingdom’s economic ambitions.
Saudi Arabia looks to allies for support amid deadly Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia has maintained that normalization requires a credible path to Palestinian statehood. Washington has sought to bring the kingdom into the Abraham Accords, the normalization framework established during Trump’s first term.