Saudi Coalition Accuses Houthis of Targeting Mecca with Drone; Rebels Deny Claim

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels accused the group on Wednesday of launching a drone toward Mecca, Islam's holiest city, saying the aircraft was intercepted before reaching its target. The Houthis rejected the allegation as a "worn-out lie," and a Houthi official called it a "lie." The claim and denial have intensified outrage across the Muslim world and deepened regional tensions. The incident comes amid escalating fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which has drawn Riyadh further into the conflict. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and targeted its ships in the Red Sea. Last week, the group seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical passage for Saudi oil exports, as broader Middle East hostilities disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Mecca draws millions of pilgrims annually, making any threat to the city highly sensitive. The coalition's report that it shot down the drone was swiftly disputed by the Houthis, who described Riyadh's account as a fabrication. The exchange marks a further deterioration in a conflict that has already spilled into key maritime corridors and threatens to widen beyond Yemen's borders.