Saudi Arabia has cancelled some oil deliveries to Europe after drone attacks shut down a major export pipeline to the Red Sea. The sudden closure of the East-West pipeline has caused global market panic, forcing international energy buyers to search quickly for alternative supplies.
At the same time, regional security tensions have escalated near key religious sites. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, stated that protecting Islam’s holiest sites and pilgrims is a "red line" and warned that deterrent measures would be taken against further attacks.
Saudi officials described the drone interception as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017. However, a Houthi spokesperson denied the accusation on social media, calling claims of targeting the holy city a lie. The Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls strategic areas along Yemen's Red Sea coast, said its recent strikes on a Saudi airbase were carried out in retaliation for military airstrikes on Yemen.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representing 57 Muslim-majority nations, strongly condemned the attack near Islam's holiest city and criticized ongoing aggression against Saudi Arabia. Following a week of increasing strikes that threaten vital shipping lanes, Saudi authorities issued security alerts across parts of the country, including Mecca.