Shadow Realignment: Saudi Arabia Quietly Engages Israeli Intelligence as Houthi Attacks Test the Limits of the ‘Mecca Pact’

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose together while holding signed documents of the trilateral Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in front of their national flags.

RIYADH / JERUSALEM — Confronted by a sharp escalation in Houthi offensive operations that threaten both vital energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping channels, Saudi Arabia has taken unprecedented behind-the-scenes steps to bolster its air and maritime defence networks. Concurrently, regional diplomacy has encountered a pragmatic reality check: despite signing a high-profile tripartite mutual-defence agreement … Read more