Updated

Regional officials say Saudi Arabia is not budging on normalizing relations with Israel even as it seeks allied help defending against Houthi missile and drone attacks, with no signs yet of military support materializing. Separately, US senators pressed the Trump administration on issues surrounding a related nuclear deal. Sources now say China is privately pushing Iran to help rein in the Houthis after a direct appeal from Saudi Arabia, as Beijing seeks to protect its vital import routes through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which have come under increasing threat as the Houthis tighten their grip on the waterway amid an oil trade already strained by the Hormuz blockade.