Several areas along Saudi Arabia’s western coast, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, were briefly placed on air raid alert after an alleged Houthi drone attack. It marked the first time an aerial threat alert was issued for Mecca. Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered the city’s prohibited airspace.

The incident has added to tensions between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The group has also declared a maritime blockade against the kingdom and targeted Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. The renewed fighting has drawn Riyadh deeper into the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

According to Israeli newspaper Hayom, air traffic bound for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina was also halted. The development came a day after Houthi attacks using ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 people in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, which includes 57 Muslim countries, condemned the attack as "heinous". Organisation of Islamic Cooperation spokesman Turki Al Maliki said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a "red line". He added that the coalition would not hesitate to take necessary measures to deter further Houthi attacks.

The Houthis rejected Saudi Arabia's account and denied targeting Mecca. Hazem al-Assad, a member of the group's politburo, called Riyadh's claim a "lie".

"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.

The Houthis have launched their heaviest missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in years. The strikes set oil facilities ablaze and wounded 73 people. On Monday, a Houthi attack in western Yemen killed eight government soldiers, according to two military sources.

The group also claimed a large-scale attack involving "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" against King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.

Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces intensified again in July. The Houthis had declared a naval blockade against Riyadh and later attacked shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Hazem al-Assad said the "Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they (Saudi Arabia) persist in their aggression against our people".

Qatar has also warned about the consequences of any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi said shutting the key waterway would be "catastrophic for the entire world".

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