Published: Sep 16, 2026, 16:05 IST | Updated: Sep 16, 2026, 16:05 IST
The Saudi-Houthi conflict has taken a dramatic turn; air raid sirens sounded in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, for the first time since 2017. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a Houthi drone before it reached Mecca's airspace, a claim the Houthis dismissed as a "worn-out lie," insisting they never targeted the city and blaming Riyadh for launching dozens of strikes across Yemen. Adding to the chaos, the East-West Pipeline remains disrupted after a drone attack, putting 4 million barrels a day at risk.