Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement are facing their most serious escalation in years, with Riyadh warning of a firm response after saying its air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone south of Makkah.
The Saudi-led coalition said the drone was destroyed on Tuesday evening before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al-Malki described the security of Makkah and the two holy mosques as a “red line” and warned that Saudi Arabia would take measures to deter further attacks. Saudi authorities also issued brief security alerts covering Makkah, Jeddah and Taif.
The Houthis have denied attempting to target Makkah or any Islamic holy site, calling the Saudi account false. Riyadh, however, said the incident represented the second known Houthi attempt to target Makkah, following a ballistic-missile launch in 2017.
The incident comes after a sharp escalation in fighting. The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Saudi military and energy-related targets in recent days, with Saudi authorities saying attacks on southern cities and installations have wounded dozens of people. The Houthis say their attacks are retaliation for Saudi military operations in Yemen.
The escalation has also extended to the Red Sea. Houthi forces have advanced along Yemen’s western coast and reportedly seized the port of Mocha and strategic territory around the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints. The developments have raised concerns about Saudi oil exports and shipping through the Red Sea.
The international response has been swift. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the reported attack near Makkah, while Pakistan has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed the kingdom’s right to defend itself. Islamabad has nevertheless said that no military response under the recently established Makkah defense arrangement is currently under discussion.
The widening conflict is adding another layer to an already severe energy crisis caused by the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have already sharply reduced tanker traffic, while attacks on Saudi infrastructure have threatened an alternative route for exporting crude. Saudi Arabia recently shut its 1,200-kilometer East-West oil pipeline after an aerial attack, further unsettling markets.
Brent crude climbed above $107 a barrel earlier this week and briefly reached about $108, as traders assessed the combined risks to supplies through Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. Oil had already risen above $100 a barrel following the latest escalation in the Iran conflict.
The latest developments threaten to turn two separate maritime vulnerabilities, i.e. the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, into a wider disruption to global energy supplies and shipping, with potentially further consequences for fuel prices and inflation worldwide.