Saudi-led coalition says Houthi missile fired at Medina region was intercepted

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi movement said on Thursday that air defences had shot down a ballistic missile launched by the group at the Medina region of Saudi Arabia, which is home to one of Islam's holiest cities.

The announcement came minutes after the kingdom's civil defence agency issued a warning of potential danger in Yanbu Governorate, where a strategically important port is located. It is not clear whether the two events were linked.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said on the social platform X that air defences had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by what he called the "terrorist Houthi militia" toward the Medina region.

The Houthis and the holy cities

The Houthis have said repeatedly that their forces will not target the holy cities of Mecca or Medina. In their campaign against the kingdom, the group has already attacked airports, energy infrastructure and military sites. In recent months it has also repeatedly targeted the port of Yanbu.

Why Yanbu matters

Yanbu lies on the Red Sea and is the terminus of the East-West Pipeline, which lets Saudi oil bypass the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Since the Middle East war began, the port and pipeline have played a key role in helping Riyadh ship crude oil and fuel to global markets.

In its statement, the civil defence agency said the National Early Warning Platform in Yanbu Governorate had issued an alert about a potential danger.