WASHINGTON (Monitoring Desk): US President Donald Trump has advised Saudi Arabia to accept Israel’s offer of assistance in operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Responding to reporters’ questions at the White House, Trump said Saudi Arabia should accept Israel’s offer, adding that Israel had proved to be very helpful to the kingdom.
Earlier this week, a diplomatic source told an Israeli newspaper that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had offered to assist Saudi Arabia against the Houthis through US mediation. One of the aims of the initiative was also to strengthen relations between the two countries. However, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposed the proposal because he feared a possible backlash from the Saudi public.
Meanwhile, President Trump has said the United States might have to target an underground site linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, known as “Pickaxe Mountain,” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In an interview on Thursday night, Trump made it clear that the United States would not use nuclear weapons in the ongoing war against Iran. He said Washington wanted to ensure that Iran never acquired nuclear weapons, claiming that Tehran would use them if it obtained them.
Referring to Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, the US president said the country’s nuclear capabilities were located beneath an enormous mountain. He added that the United States was assessing the site and could target and destroy it quickly if necessary.