Saudi Arabia accused Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels of attempting to attack Mecca and said it intercepted and destroyed a drone before it entered the city’s airspace. The Houthis denied launching drones toward the city, about 1,100 kilometers from Yemen’s border, while Saudi Arabia described Mecca as a red line amid the widening regional war involving Iran. The incident was described by Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Col. Turki al-Maliki as the Houthis’ second attempted attack on Mecca, following a ballistic-missile launch toward the city in 2017. Turkey and Pakistan, parties to a new Saudi defense pact, said Riyadh had not requested military assistance, and a Turkish official said the alliance still needed to be institutionalized before becoming operational. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Pakistan and Turkey condemned the alleged attack. The Houthis later claimed, without evidence, to have shot down a Saudi-led coalition F-15 over Yemen’s Marib province; the claim could not be independently verified. Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping routes face additional pressure: a key pipeline has reportedly been shut for weeks after an attack by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Houthi activity has affected the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, and Iran continues targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel, while flows through Hormuz have recovered somewhat to an estimated 5 million to 7 million barrels per day, less than half their prewar level. The United States has not committed to direct intervention, although its Central Command has a task force for intelligence-sharing and planning support with Saudi forces. In China, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed regional calm with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who urged Washington and Tehran to exercise restraint and reopen Hormuz. A related prediction market priced the probability of Strait traffic returning to normal by December 31 at 17.5% for a YES outcome.