Houthis Reject Claim of Drone Attack on Mecca Amid Escalating Yemen Conflict

Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it could enter the airspace over Mecca, according to the Saudi-led coalition. However, the Iran-backed Houthi militia group rejected this claim as 'an worn-out lie'.

The incident marks the latest escalation in the conflict in Yemen, which has drawn Saudi Arabia deeper into the Mideast war. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the strike as a 'heinous' attack, denouncing what it described as Houthi attacks on Mecca and the Madinah region.

The fighting has further rattled oil markets, with Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures hovering near four-month highs of $107.8 per barrel and $104.6 a barrel, respectively. The seven-day average of oil transit through the Hormuz Strait rose to nearly 12 million barrels per day as of Sunday.