Mecca on air alert: Saudi Arabia issues first-ever warning amid Houthi attacks in West Asia

For a brief period on Tuesday, fear and uncertainty gripped parts of Saudi Arabia's western coast as the Saudi Civil Defence issued aerial threat alerts in several cities, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, before lifting them soon after. The alert in Mecca was the first of its kind in history and came after the kingdom was repeatedly targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis in recent days.

The alerts were issued a day after the Houthis wounded 13 people in Saudi Arabia in an assault using ballistic missiles and drones from Yemen. Air traffic bound for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina was also halted, Israeli newspaper Hayom reported. It added that Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government forces and Saudi forces had earlier struck targets near the city of Taiz in Yemen.

First-time alert in Mecca

A warning issued through the National Early Warning Platform in Mecca City cautioned residents about a potential danger and asked them to follow official instructions. The Saudi civil defence had earlier issued short-lived air raid alerts in six regions.

Later, the Directorate of Saudi Civil Defence 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)."

What the Houthis said

A Houthi official rejected the Saudi-led coalition's report that it had shot down a drone from the rebels heading towards Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone," Hazem al-Assad from the Houthis' politburo wrote on X.

Hazem al-Assad also said the "Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they (Saudi Arabia) persist in their aggression against our people".

The Saudi-Houthi conflict

The Houthis carried out their heaviest missile and drone attack in years against Saudi Arabia this week, setting oil sites ablaze and wounding 73. On Monday, a Houthi strike in western Yemen killed eight government soldiers, according to two military sources. The group also claimed a new large-scale attack using "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" against King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have been fighting Saudi-backed government forces since Yemen's civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea. Fighting flared again after the group declared a naval blockade against Riyadh and launched attacks on its shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Regional and international response

On Tuesday, Qatar warned of dire consequences if Bab al-Mandab was closed. Foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi said shutting the strait would be "catastrophic for the entire world".

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump rejected a request from the Saudi crown prince to intervene in the war. He said that on Saturday the Houthis had called Washington and asked the US not to get involved.

The latest alerts in Mecca and other western Saudi cities, the reported halt in air traffic to Medina, and the continuing exchanges between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis underline the widening pressure on the kingdom as the conflict threatens a crucial Red Sea route.