Saudi says Houthis target Mecca, warn of 'red line'

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen accused the Houthi rebels of targeting the holy city of Mecca. According to the coalition, Saudi air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the city. The incident sparked outrage across the Muslim world and deepened the conflict in the region.

Houthi officials, however, denied targeting Mecca. A Houthi politburo member, Hazem al-Assad, wrote on X that the claims were a "worn-out lie" and no longer believable. The US embassy in Saudi Arabia has issued an advisory asking Americans to "reconsider travel" to the kingdom, citing multiple security risks, including the possibility of Iranian drone and missile attacks.

The conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis has intensified in recent weeks, with the Houthis seizing control of parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast and advancing towards the Bab el-Mandeb, a crucial shipping strait. The Houthis have also announced several attacks on Saudi targets, including a strike on an air base. Saudi Arabia has issued security alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif, although the warnings were swiftly lifted after authorities said the danger had passed.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Hindustan Times - World News, Investing.com, France 24, The Vibes — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.