Mecca placed under air raid alert for first time as Houthis target Saudi Arabia

Mecca was placed under an air raid alert for the first time, as Saudi Arabia faced another wave of attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.

The Saudi Civil Defence issued alerts across several areas along the kingdom’s western coast on Tuesday, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif. The warnings were short-lived and were lifted after authorities said the danger had passed.

Mecca alert issued for first time

The unprecedented alert came after Saudi Arabia was targeted repeatedly by the Houthis in recent days. Saudi authorities had also issued brief aerial threat warnings in six regions.

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defence later said in a post on X, "Alert: The danger has passed in Mecca City. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid gathering and filming. In case of emergency, call (911)."

According to Israeli newspaper Hayom, flights heading to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina were also halted. The report came after Saudi-backed forces and Yemen’s internationally recognised government carried out strikes near Taiz in Yemen.

The alerts followed a Houthi attack a day earlier that injured 13 people in Saudi Arabia, reportedly involving ballistic missiles and drones launched from Yemen.

Houthis deny targeting Mecca

A Houthi official rejected Saudi-led coalition claims that the rebels had launched a drone towards Mecca.

Hazem al-Assad, a member of the Houthi politburo, wrote on X, "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone".

The Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia amid renewed fighting with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.

Red Sea tensions deepen

The escalation has also raised concerns over the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime route.

On Monday, a Houthi strike in western Yemen killed eight government soldiers, according to two military sources. The group also claimed to have launched "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" at King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait.

Qatar has warned that any closure of Bab al-Mandab could have severe global consequences. Foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi called such a move "catastrophic for the entire world".

US President Donald Trump has meanwhile rejected a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to intervene in the conflict, while claiming the Houthis had asked Washington not to get involved.