Saudi alleges Houthi drone attack on Mecca amid shrinking allied support

Cairo,UPDATED: Sep 16, 2026 14:40 IST

Saudi Arabia has accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels of trying to attack Mecca, Islam's holiest city, in an allegation that drew condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military backing for the kingdom. The Houthis denied firing drones towards Mecca, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a drone before it entered the city's airspace.

The incident comes as Saudi Arabia faces continued attacks on its infrastructure and shipping, with no clear indication of outside military support despite a defence pact involving Turkiye and Pakistan. The United States has also signalled that it does not want to be drawn into the conflict, even as tensions linked to Yemen and Iran continue to affect regional oil routes and prices.

Saudi Arabia described Mecca as a "red line" as it faced pressure from the Houthis, who are backed by Tehran, Riyadh's regional rival. A crucial Saudi pipeline has reportedly been shut for weeks as the Houthis have attacked infrastructure inside the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea. At the same time, Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above USD 100 a barrel.

Officials from Turkiye and Pakistan told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia had not asked them for support in response to the Houthi escalation. One Turkish official said efforts to "institutionalise" the alliance still need to be completed before the pact becomes operational. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attempted drone attack on Mecca and said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stand "unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder". The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which represents more than 57 Muslim states, also condemned the attempt, saying it violated the "sanctity of holy sites". According to Col Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, this was the second attempted attack on Mecca by the Houthis after a ballistic missile was fired towards the city in 2017.

Top US officials have indicated in recent days that Washington does not want to get involved in the conflict. "The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us," US President Donald Trump said on Saturday, adding that the rebels appeared focused on the Saudis. Vice President J D Vance said on Monday that Washington had been in "constant contact" with the Saudis and had been "engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis themselves", describing the situation as "a very fluid and dynamic thing" that needed to be monitored.

Later on Wednesday, the Houthis claimed, without offering evidence, that they had shot down an F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-led coalition over Yemen's central Marib province. Houthi military spokesperson Brig Gen Yahya Saree did not say when it happened, and the claim could not be independently verified. Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Elsewhere, Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi was visiting China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, with talks expected to focus on the conflict and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend, again offered Beijing's help in ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Overall, Saudi Arabia's allegation over Mecca has sharpened tensions in the region, but there is still no sign of direct military support from its partners, while the US remains cautious and the wider conflict continues to disrupt vital oil and shipping routes.

With PTI Inputs

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