Houthis Deny Targeting Mecca, Accuse Saudi Arabia of Spreading Falsehoods

The Houthi group has vehemently denied any intention to target the holy city of Mecca or other sacred sites in Saudi Arabia, following reports of potential threats. A Houthi-affiliated military source, cited by the Saba news agency, stated that the group "strongly denies any threat from Yemen against the holy city of Mecca or any other holy sites." The source accused Saudi Arabia of disseminating "false and misleading information" regarding a Yemeni threat to Mecca, suggesting the aim was to tarnish the Houthi image and garner international sympathy. This denial comes amid escalating regional tensions and growing concerns about the conflict widening to include vital Saudi infrastructure.

Earlier, air raid sirens were activated in Mecca and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time during the current confrontation with the Houthis. Reports also indicated explosions heard across the country. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced it would take strong action following recent Houthi attacks that injured 13 people in three Saudi cities. The coalition also reported that Houthi ballistic missiles and drones targeted civilian sites overnight.

In parallel developments, the Israeli military announced it had eliminated two Hamas commanders in Gaza: Ahmed al-Batsh, also known as "Abu Osama," in an attack on his vehicle west of Gaza City, and Abu Zamr, a company commander responsible for training Hamas militants for the October 7th attack, in an airstrike in Khan Younis. Another airstrike in Gaza City killed Mohammed Khader Fahmi Aghour, described as a Hamas military wing operative.

Amidst the broader regional instability, oil loading was halted in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil export port, following a previous attack on a key oil pipeline. The Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to visit China, while an Israeli diplomat indicated that Israel and Saudi Arabia are holding indirect talks via the US Central Command to share intelligence against the Houthis. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have intercepted and destroyed a third US MQ-1 military drone over the Strait of Hormuz, while the US reported destroying two IRGC vessels after they attempted to seize an unmanned US vessel in the same waterway.