Overview
- Saudi officials said they intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered restricted airspace and briefly issued civil‑defence alerts for Mecca and other western regions.
- The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and said their strikes focus on Saudi oil facilities and military bases, while also claiming—without independent verification—that they shot down a Saudi F‑15 over Yemen’s Marib province.
- The incident came as Houthi forces have seized Red Sea positions and stepped up strikes on shipping and facilities, prompting Saudi Aramco to suspend some Yanbu loadings and contributing to oil prices above $100 per barrel.
- Riyadh’s new defence pact with Turkiye and Pakistan has not produced operational support and the United States has signalled caution, even as U.S. officials conduct diplomacy that includes contacts with Houthi representatives.
- The escalation has immediate human and economic costs: tens of thousands are newly displaced in Yemen, commercial navigation through the Bab el‑Mandeb and Red Sea faces greater risk, and markets may see further supply and insurance pressure if disruptions continue.