Saudi Arabia’s air defenses shot down a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it could cross into the holy city’s protected airspace, according to Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen.
It was only the second time the Houthis have attempted to strike Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch back in July 2017. Al-Malki called the security of the city a “red line” for the kingdom. Houthi officials pushed back hard on the claim that Mecca was the target. Political bureau member Mohammed al-Farah told the group’s SABA news agency the allegation was “an outright lie.”
The interception comes after a week of escalating Houthi attacks that have pulled Saudi Arabia further into a widening Middle East conflict. On Monday, the Houthis struck a Saudi air base, wounding 13 civilians, which they described as retaliation for Saudi airstrikes on Yemen.
Oil Markets Already on Edge
The strikes are landing at a dangerous moment for global energy markets, already rattled by six months of war between the United States and Iran that has choked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis have taken control of stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb strait, another critical shipping chokepoint, putting Saudi oil exports rerouted away from Hormuz at further risk.
Saudi Arabia has separately blamed a pro-Iranian movement based in Iraq for a Friday attack that knocked out the kingdom’s East-West Pipeline, a 745-mile route across the Arabian desert linking Gulf oil fields to the Red Sea. That pipeline has served as Saudi Arabia’s main export route while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the broader war, which has killed thousands across the region.
Traders warn a prolonged pipeline shutdown could remove as much as 4% of global oil supply from the market. Saudi Arabia has given no timeline for restoring the line, though US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Tuesday that crude should be flowing through it again within days.
Saudis Seek US Backing
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Houthis since 2015. A ceasefire had largely held in recent years until the Houthis pushed back Yemeni government-aligned forces this month, reigniting the fight.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman phoned President Donald Trump last week to request military support. So far, the US response has been limited to intelligence assistance.
