Saudi coalition blocks Houthi attack on Mecca area

The United Kingdom has announced the deployment of Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to assist in intercepting Houthi missiles and drones following a surge in attacks on regional airports and oil facilities. Amid these heightened tensions, the U.S. government ordered non-emergency staff and their families to depart the country the week of October 19.

The recent Houthi campaign has targeted critical infrastructure, including Aramco facilities, crude oil pumping stations, and the east-west pipeline. These events occur against a backdrop of regional instability, as Brent crude futures recently reached a six-month high of $116.72 per barrel. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen at that time to restore the ousted government. The hostilities ended the 2022 UN-mediated truce that had limited cross-border strikes.

1. The Saudi-led coalition intercepted 10 ballistic missiles, 2 drones, and 1 cruise missile on October 25, 2026. The projectiles targeted Riyadh and Khamis Mushait.

2. King Khalid International Airport resumed operations on October 25, 2026. Terminal 1 handles domestic flights. Terminal 2 serves international routes.

3. Yemen's government forces said they carried out more than 700 operations against Houthi targets on October 24, 2026. These strikes killed over 300 Houthi fighters.

4. On October 24, 2026, Saudi forces intercepted two Houthi missiles. The Saudi Civil Defence agency reported that its teams responded to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions.

1. Houthi forces claimed seven military operations on October 25, 2026. The group stated these strikes targeted King Khalid International Airport and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

2. On October 25, 2026, falling debris from intercepted missiles injured two people in the Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah area. The debris damaged three residential buildings and seven vehicles in those cities on October 25, 2026.

3. Houthi forces targeted Dammam and Najran airports, the Khamis Mushait air base, and crude oil pipelines on October 24, 2026. The group also fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard facilities in the port of Aden.

4. An attack killed at least 13 people and injured approximately 300 on October 10, 2026. The United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia on October 19, 2026.

5. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied targeting Mecca and Medina. Saree described the Saudi claim regarding those cities as a 'huge lie.'

6. Houthi forces are advancing on Jabal Sabr. The mountain overlooks the city of Taiz, Yemen. Control of the peak provides a strategic vantage point.

7. The General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense reported that shrapnel from two ballistic missiles fell in several locations. Debris landed in the Al-Nuzha neighborhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif, and an uninhabited site in Rabigh.