Saudi Arabia says drone intercepted near Mecca amid Houthi tensions
Saudi air defences said they intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday, a claim the Iran-backed rebels denied, while several explosions were reported on Iran's Qeshm island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia's air defence forces reported intercepting and destroying a drone launched by Yemen's Houthi movement as it approached an area south of Mecca, Islam's holiest city, on Tuesday. The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have denied responsibility for the incident.
Separately, multiple explosions were reported on Qeshm island, located near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, though the cause has not been detailed.
Regional tensions escalate
The latest incident follows a pledge by Saudi Arabia to respond "firmly" to Houthi attacks after a series of drone and missile strikes wounded 13 people in the kingdom's south.
In related diplomatic developments, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks in Cairo focused on security and freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
Separately, the US Defense Department's inspector general disclosed that the United States is experiencing an ammunition shortfall stemming from its costly military engagement with Iran, which has so far cost Washington $38 billion.
