Interception reported near Mecca
Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the prohibited airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said the drone was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.
Al-Malki said the security of Islam's two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a "red line," and that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis. Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam's holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, which millions of Muslims undertake each year.
Houthi denial and regional reaction
The Houthis swiftly rejected the report as a "lie." Hazem al-Assad from the Houthis' politburo wrote on X: "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone." Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Farah also denied the group had targeted the city, calling the allegation "an outright lie" in comments carried by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. A Houthi military source told SABA: "We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites."
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of 57 Muslim countries, condemned the "heinous" attack, blaming the Houthis.
Security alerts and broader conflict
Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday, including in Mecca and other cities, following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn the kingdom deeper into the Middle East conflict. The alerts came a day after a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen wounded 13 people in the kingdom's south, according to coalition officials.
The Houthis have announced several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an air base on Monday that they said were retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen. The air base attack wounded 13 civilians, Saudi-led military coalition officials said.
The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's most important shipping straits, threatening Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz. The group has also declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and targeted its ships in the Red Sea.
Diplomatic and military dimensions
Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for ensuring the freedom and security of maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandab. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, and el-Sisi's office expressed "Egypt's unwavering position in supporting Saudi Arabia."
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince phoned U.S. President Donald Trump last week seeking military support, which so far has been limited to intelligence aid, according to reports. A US military task force is working to enhance intelligence-sharing and planning assistance for Saudi forces, a US official told AFP.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi Arabia launched 52 airstrikes on Yemen over the past 24 hours, accusing it of targeting civilian sites.
The conflict dates to 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government. A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, but hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July and gained control of critical nodes on the Bab el-Mandeb coastline.