Saudi Arabia highlights: Houthis say they attacked Saudi's Aramco facilities in Yanbu

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: In a tiny village perched on a mountain in Yemen, all the doors are padlocked, a children's swing hangs motionless and silence reigns after residents fled the shelling of pro-Iran Houthi fighters.

Like tens of thousands of people across Yemen who have fled their homes for less violent regions, the vast majority of residents of Al-Akad have left since the Houthis' lightning offensive engulfed their village.

For now, only the bravest have returned, if only to check whether their homes are still standing.

"I came to check on our house and the houses of some of our neighbours and make sure they are safe," said Abdallah Hassan Ahmed, one of just two residents an AFP journalist saw in the village. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The Houthis claimed on Wednesday that they had shot down an F-15 fighter jet belonging to the Saudi-led coalition over Yemen’s central Marib province, but provided no evidence to support the claim.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig Gen Yahya Saree did not specify when the alleged incident took place.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the elusive leader of Yemen’s battle-hardened Houthi forces, has secured his biggest military success in years after the Iran-aligned group seized large stretches of the country’s Red Sea coastline, strengthening its hold over a crucial shipping route and raising concerns in oil-rich Saudi Arabia, reported Reuters.

The offensive, which has included attacks on Saudi Arabia, has put the Houthis in a position to potentially influence traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key maritime trade routes for goods and commodities, including oil.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Oil prices fell on Wednesday as reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes via Oman eased concerns about the scale of Middle East supply disruptions, while European diesel prices hovered near a record high.

Brent crude futures were down $1.30, or 1.2%, at $107.45 a barrel by 1307 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down $1.96, or 1.85%, at $103.87. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that the targeting of Mecca was a "cowardly terrorist attack". This comes after Yemen's Houthis denied launching a drone at the holy city.

Saudi also "reaffirms its legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of the two holy mosques, the pilgrims, and the entire Saudi territory, its citizens, and its residents," according to a foreign ministry statement.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia condemns 'cowardly terrorist attack' by Houthis on Mecca

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Wednesday that the group attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait as well as Aramco facilities in Yanbu, reported Reuters.

There has been no confirmation from Saudi Arabia on either of the attacks.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday said Tehran is not interested in continuing the conflict with the US and looks forward to returning to a diplomatic solution, as he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and briefed him on the latest developments in West Asia.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: US officials met Houthis in Oman over the weekend after Iran-backed group seized strategic stretch of Red Sea coast, Reuters reported citing sources.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: A resident of Mecca told news agency AFP on condition of anonymity that he “saw a few people panicking, running to the window to see what happened”.

“I think the alarm system creates panic... Life is normal in Mecca, and there have been previous incidents in Mecca so this isn't the first one,” the person said.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Houthi Politburo's Hazem al-Assad said on X that the claims about targeting Mecca “are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone”.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: India expressed concern over drone attack near Mecca on Wednesday.

External ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement, “We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah. India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure. The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world.”

“We hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” he added.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attempted drone attack on Mecca. He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stand “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder.”

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Amid a new defence pact between Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan, officials from Ankara and Islamabad told news agnecy Associated Press that Riyadh had not sought their assistance in responding to the Houthis’ escalating attacks.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia has called for collective international efforts to protect maritime routes and ensure freedom of navigation, warning that Houthi threats in the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait could disrupt global trade and supply chains.

The kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, outlined Riyadh’s position during a UN Security Council session on Houthi threats to maritime navigation, reported Saudi Gazette.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The Houthis have used anti-ship missiles and drones to target vessels in the Red Sea, turning Yemen's conflict into an international maritime security issue.

Their recent advance toward Bab el-Mandeb has added another layer to the crisis. Reuters said control of positions around the strait could give the group greater leverage over one of the world’s major shipping routes.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The alleged attack by Houthi rebels near the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia overnight was the second such attempt by the rebels, who fired a ballistic missile toward the city in 2017, according to Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, the Associated Press reported. Houthis have denied attacking near the holy city.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The United States is staying out of the fight. Top US officials in recent days have indicated a lack of desire to get involved in the conflict.

“The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,” US President Donald Trump said Saturday, adding that the rebels appear focused on the Saudis.

Vice President JD Vance on Monday said Washington had been in “constant contact” with the Saudis and had been “engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis themselves,” calling it “a very fluid and dynamic thing” to be monitored. (AP)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came under attack from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, officials from Turkey and Pakistan told The Associated Press that they have not received a Saudi request for support in response to the Houthis’ escalation.

This comes as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, establishing a mutual defense pact where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The Houthis have increasingly targeted Saudi infrastructure with missiles and drones. Their advance toward Bab el-Mandeb adds another risk because Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on Red Sea routes after disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters reported that the Houthi advance could increase pressure on Saudi oil exports, while an attack from Iraq had also temporarily disrupted the East-West pipeline. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: A 2024 UN experts’ report estimated that Houthi recruitment could have reached 350,000 fighters, compared with about 30,000 in 2015. The panel cautioned that it could not independently verify the number of newly recruited fighters.

The Houthis have also benefited from the weakness and fragmentation of their opponents. Anti-Houthi forces include groups with competing political and regional interests.

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia began its military intervention in Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Years of airstrikes failed to produce a decisive battlefield outcome.

The US and UK later launched strikes against Houthi positions after attacks on Red Sea shipping. Yet the group survived and continued developing its missile and drone capabilities.

The underlying problem is also geographical. Yemen’s mountains and large territory allow fighters and weapons infrastructure to be dispersed, making it difficult for air power alone to eliminate the group. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Oil prices fell on Wednesday after US crude inventories unexpectedly rose, but Saudi supply concerns remained after the kingdom halted oil shipments from its Yanbu terminal following an attack on its East-West pipeline.

Brent crude fell 0.86% to $107.82 a barrel, while WTI dropped 0.92% to $104.86. Oil had jumped more than $3 on Tuesday after the Saudi supply disruption. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday condemned what it described as “heinous attacks” by the Houthi group on Makkah and the Madinah region, and expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the OIC General Secretariat said the attacks were intended to “terrorise civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world”.

The organisation said attacks on holy sites, mosques and civilian objects constituted terrorism and contradicted Islamic values, international norms and laws. It said any violation of the sanctity of holy sites was unacceptable and required measures to deter those responsible.

The OIC also backed measures taken by Saudi Arabia to protect holy sites and civilians, as well as the kingdom’s security and sovereignty.

The statement came after Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace. The Houthis have denied targeting Makkah or other Islamic holy sites.

The incident came amid a fresh escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with the Yemen-based group carrying out attacks on Saudi territory and advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. (Al Jazeera)