Saudi Arabia Sounds Alarm as Iran-Backed Houthis Escalate Attacks

Saudi Arabia's security alert system sounded off across its territory on Tuesday after a week of strikes by Iran-aligned fighters, drawing the kingdom deeper into the Middle East conflict.

The alerts, which were swiftly lifted, included the holy city of Mecca and Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia. This was the first alarm raised in Mecca during the war, which houses shrines sacred to all Muslims.

Saudi Arabia has blamed a pro-Iranian movement based in Iraq for an attack on Friday that knocked out one of its most important oil transport routes, the East-West Pipeline across the Arabian desert. The pipeline is expected to resume operations within days, with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright saying crude oil should be flowing through it soon.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have announced a number of major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an air base on Monday that they said were in retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting against the Houthis in Yemen reported 13 civilians had been wounded in the Houthi's attacks on Saudi Arabia.