Saudi Arabia warns of ‘red line’ after Houthi drone intercepted close to holy city of Mecca
The Iran-aligned militant group rejected the suggestion it had targeted Mecca, while the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attack Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition which is fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen .
The security of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said early on Wednesday, adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.
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The GuardianSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-09-16. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.