Saudi Arabia calls attempted Mecca attack ‘red line’ as Iran-backed Houthis deny they did it
The Hindu – International
You are logged in
Loading…
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials,
Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you’ve access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Account Settings
Need help with your subscription?
September 16, 2026 e-Paper
The View From India
Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.
First Day First Show
News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.
Today's Cache
Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.
Science For All
The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!
Data Point
Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers
THEdge
At the cutting edge of education and careers
Health Matters
Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there
Gender Agenda
Stories from beyond the binary.
The Hindu On Books
Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.
September 16, 2026 e-Paper
Published – September 16, 2026 04:11 pm IST – Cairo
The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, about 1,100 kilometres from Yemen’s border. File
| Photo Credit: Gettyimages/iStockphoto
Saudi Arabia accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight of trying to attack Islam's holiest city, prompting condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military support. The kingdom, a key U.S. ally, declared Mecca a “red line” as it slid deeper into the new front of the Iran war.
With the world's biggest oil exporter under fire from the rebels backed by the Saudis' regional adversary, Tehran, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military support. However, a path to either one remains unclear.
A crucial Saudi pipeline has reportedly been shut down for weeks as the Yemen-based Houthis have been attacking infrastructure in the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea. Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel.
The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, about 1,100 kilometres from Yemen's border. The Saudis said they intercepted and destroyed the drone before it entered the airspace over the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.
A new defence pact among Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkiye and nuclear power Pakistan remained untapped, as officials from Turkiye and Pakistan told The Associated Press they have not received a Saudi request for support in response to the Houthis' escalation.
The Turkish official added that efforts to “institutionalise” the alliance need to be completed before the pact becomes operational. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined the condemnation of the attempted drone attack on Mecca and said his country and the Saudis stand “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder.” Other condemnation came from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representing over 57 Muslim states, which said the attempt violates the “sanctity of holy sites.” This was the second attempted attack by the Houthis against Mecca after the rebels fired a ballistic missile toward the city in 2017, according to Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition.
Top U.S. officials in recent days have indicated a lack of desire to get involved in the conflict.
“The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us,” U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday (September 12, 2026), adding that the rebels appear focused on the Saudis.
Vice President J.D. Vance on Monday (September 14, 2026) said Washington had been in “constant contact” with the Saudis and had been “engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis themselves,” calling it “a very fluid and dynamic thing” to be monitored.
Later on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), the rebels claimed, without offering evidence, that they shot down a F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis over the central province of Marib. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree didn't say when it occurred, and the AP couldn't independently verify the claim.
Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Elsewhere, Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, was visiting China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, as talks were expected to focus on the conflict and on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend again offered Beijing's help in ending the conflict in the Middle East.
Published – September 16, 2026 04:11 pm IST
Saudi Arabia
/
Yemen
/
Pakistan
/
USA
/
West Asia
/
Turkey
Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
Fonte: The Hindu – International
