Saudi Arabia calls an attempted Mecca attack a 'red line' as Iran-backed Houthis deny they did it

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia accused Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight of trying to attack Islam’s holiest city, prompting condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military support. The kingdom, a key U.S. ally, declared Mecca a “red line” as it slid deeper into the new front of the Iran war .

With the world’s biggest oil exporter under fire from the rebels backed by the Saudis' regional adversary, Tehran, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military support. However, a path to either one remains unclear.

A crucial Saudi pipeline has reportedly been shut down for weeks as the Yemen-based Houthis have been attacking infrastructure in the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea . Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel.

The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Yemen’s border. The Saudis said they intercepted and destroyed the drone before it entered the airspace over the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.

A new defense pact among Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkey and nuclear power Pakistan remained untapped, as officials from Turkey and Pakistan told The Associated Press they have not received a Saudi request for support in response to the Houthis' escalation.

The Turkish official added that efforts to “institutionalize” the alliance need to be completed before the pact becomes operational. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined the condemnation of the attempted drone attack on Mecca and said his country and the Saudis stand “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder.” Other condemnation came from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, representing over 57 Muslim states, which said the attempt violates the “sanctity of holy sites.”

This was the second attempted attack by the Houthis against Mecca after the rebels fired a ballistic missile toward the city in 2017, according to Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition.

Top U.S. 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,” U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday, adding that the rebels appear focused on the Saudis.

Vice President J.D. 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.

Later Wednesday, the rebels claimed, without offering evidence, that they shot down an F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis over the central province of Marib. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree didn’t say when it occurred, and the AP couldn’t independently verify the claim.

Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elsewhere, Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, was visiting China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, as talks were expected to focus on the conflict and on shipping on the Strait of Hormuz.

Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend again offered Beijing's help in ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Frazer reported from Ankara and Ahmed from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.