Trump Says Israel Helped Saudi Arabia, Sees New Opening for Abraham Accords
Donald Trump said on 16 October that Israel had helped Saudi Arabia against the Houthis and suggested that prospects for Saudi normalization with Israel had improved.
Speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn before boarding Marine One, the US president addressed military assistance and diplomatic recognition in separate answers. His comments brought renewed attention to a relationship shaped by both the Houthi threat and negotiations involving Washington.
Two questions, two answers
Asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israeli help against the Houthis, Trump said Israel had “been very helpful to Saudi Arabia.” Asked separately whether normalization was back on the table, he answered: “Yeah, I think so, maybe more than ever,” The Times of Israel reported.
The Jerusalem Post also reported the exchange. Trump was expressing his assessment of the prospects for closer ties, without announcing a signed Saudi agreement or a date for establishing diplomatic relations.
What has been reported about assistance
The Week reported on 15 September, citing Israeli news outlet Walla, that Saudi security officials had held discussions with Israeli intelligence agencies through US Central Command. That account described information about Houthi deployments and possible defensive planning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the broader subject in an interview on 13 October. Asked about Saudi requests for help, he said requests were coming from countries across the Middle East, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel News Pulse could not independently find official operational details of the assistance or a new Saudi announcement changing its conditions for normalization.
The framework Saudi Arabia could join
The Abraham Accords began with agreements signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at the White House on 15 September 2020. They established a framework for diplomatic relations and cooperation in areas including trade, tourism and security.
Morocco followed in December 2020. Sudan agreed to pursue normalization in October 2020 and signed the Abraham Accords Declaration in January 2021; that declaration was a step toward a bilateral relationship, rather than a completed bilateral peace treaty.
Saudi Arabia has tied recognition of Israel to a clear, irreversible path toward Palestinian statehood. The Week described that position in September, after Trump had again linked Saudi participation in the accords to US nuclear cooperation.
Nuclear diplomacy has moved through several stages
The US Energy Department announced a joint declaration on the completion of civil nuclear negotiations with Saudi Arabia on 18 November 2025. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed that document.
A civil nuclear cooperation agreement followed in July 2026. On 24 July, Trump publicly said it would proceed only if Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords, Reuters reported. An administration official subsequently told Reuters that the agreement was sent to Congress on 24 August for review. The declaration, the agreement and congressional review are separate stages; submitting a text to lawmakers does not by itself bring it into force.
Airport attacks form the immediate backdrop
The security discussions come as Houthi attacks disrupt Saudi aviation and threaten energy infrastructure. Saudi officials identified Aramco’s headquarters among the targets in an account carried by the Associated Press on 15 October.
An alert issued by the US mission in Saudi Arabia on 16 October said Saudi aviation authorities had extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport through 17 October. That suspension window is not a confirmed reopening timetable. The mission advised travelers to check airport and airline information directly as conditions change.
