A Saudi source suggested that it would not normalise ties with Israel, even if they would help the Saudis against the Houthis, Times of Israel reports

The relevant distinction is between rhetoric aimed at a domestic and regional audience and actual negotiating posture; Saudi officials have historically kept both tracks alive while publicly conditioning normalisation on Palestinian statehood movement, and single-source attributions of this kind have tended to reiterate rather than shift that stance. The channel for markets runs through Red Sea and Gulf security risk premia: a firmer refusal implies no near-term Saudi alignment with Israeli or US-led pressure on the Houthis, which leaves the shipping disruption case dependent on the existing naval and ceasefire dynamics rather than a diplomatic breakthrough. The follow-ons worth noting are whether the comment is confirmed or walked back by named officials, any response from Washington given its brokerage role, and whether the timing coincides with active normalisation contacts. As an anonymous-sourced report of established public policy, the signal value is limited absent corroboration.