Saudi says drone intercepted near Mecca

Saudi officials said a drone was intercepted south of Mecca on Wednesday, escalating tensions by prompting Riyadh to call the security of Mecca and Medina a "red line." Houthi officials denied targeting Mecca or any holy site, while both sides traded competing claims about military losses.

The episode follows renewed missile and drone exchanges and Saudi airstrikes across Yemen, officials said, raising the risk of further cross-border strikes and reprisals. Saudi statements said an F-15 was shot down in the wider exchanges; Houthi spokespeople disputed that characterisation.

Mecca joint defence pact

Saudi officials pointed to the new Mecca joint defence agreement with Pakistan and Turkey as a possible mechanism if attacks on Saudi territory continue. The pact, officials said, is framed to protect the holy cities and to coordinate military or diplomatic responses among the partners.

Officials said Riyadh has placed the protection of pilgrimage sites at the center of its strategy, signalling a lower threshold for military responses when attacks approach restricted airspace. The incident increases regional tension and, officials warned, could complicate security for shipping and energy corridors in the Red Sea and nearby waters.

If cross-border strikes persist, officials said they could seek to invoke mutual-defence measures under the Mecca agreement within 72 hours, making a rapid allied response the immediate risk to watch.