Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi drone targeting Mecca amid regional tensions

Saudi Arabian authorities say they intercepted a drone attack, they claim was launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, before it could reach the holy city of Mecca.

The drone was intercepted and destroyed south of the religious site on Tuesday, local time, before it entered prohibited airspace, according to a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis.

The security of Islam's two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a "red line," coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said on Wednesday, local time.

He added that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the rebel group.

Mecca, which is home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam's holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage — one of the five pillars of Islam — which millions of Muslims undertake each year.

Mr al-Malki described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.

Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday — including in Mecca, in the Jeddah and Taif regions, and other cities — following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn the kingdom deeper into the Middle East war.

The alerts, including the first one issued in Mecca since the Middle East war began, were quickly lifted, according to the Saudi civil defence.

A Houthi military source denied the group posed any threat to Mecca or other holy sites, in comments carried by the Houthi-run SABA news agency on Tuesday, local time.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the incident as a "heinous" Houthi attack.

The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's most important shipping straits, threatening Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz.

The group has announced several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an air base on Monday, local time, that it said were retaliation for air strikes on Yemen.

Saudi prince seeks Egypt's help

The incident came as Saudi Arabia’s crown prince continues to seek the backing of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, his ally across the Red Sea, amid ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi shipping and infrastructure that have helped drive a surge in global oil prices.

Saudi Arabia has largely been on its own in confronting the Iranian-backed rebels, who rapidly captured more territory in Yemen over the past week and strengthened their ability to choke off Saudi oil exports out of the Red Sea.

The vulnerability of the kingdom’s oil production was further underscored by an attack days ago that damaged its biggest pipeline. The strike was reportedly carried out by Iran’s allied militias in Iraq.

It means the East-West Pipeline will be largely shut down for weeks as it is repaired, regional officials say, likely taking several million barrels of oil a day off the market.

The Houthi offensive has opened up a new front in the Middle East war and boosted the hand of Iran, Saudi Arabia's traditional arch rival in the region, which has attacked shipping through the region's other major maritime route, the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Cairo with Mr el-Sissi.

The crown prince said in a statement they both confirmed “their shared commitment to ensuring freedom and security of maritime navigation” in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the choke point at the sea’s southern end.

Mr el-Sissi's office put out a statement expressing “Egypt’s unwavering position in supporting Saudi Arabia.”

Neither side gave firm details on any future steps.

While Egypt is unlikely to offer military help to Saudi Arabia, the country is influential in the Arab world and can help rally support.

Egypt has been at the centre of mediation efforts in the last three years of turmoil in the region, keeping open relations with all parties, including Iran and its allies.