Israeli Channel 12, citing a Middle East diplomat, reported that Israel, with U.S. mediation, has begun sharing security information about the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen with Saudi Arabia.

According to this report, Saudi Arabia asked the United States for help, and Washington passed the request on to Israel. Israel, due to concerns about regional threats from the Houthis, has started providing security information.

A source familiar with the Channel 12 said that U.S. representatives, in discussions in Cairo, stated that Israel could provide Saudi Arabia with extensive information by using its army’s experience in confronting the Houthis.

According to Channel 12, the main goal of this cooperation is to secure shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The talks took place at the same time as the visit of Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the president of Egypt, in Cairo. Representatives from the U.S. Central Command headquarters, CENTCOM, were also present in the security negotiations and proposed the establishment of a joint mechanism for confronting the Houthis in the region.