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

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.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4464x2976+0+0/resize/4464x2976!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa7%2F13%2F6d763a4e4dc3872a8feebcd1882d%2Fap26258687161521.jpg' alt='A displaced person walks through a camp in Taiz province, Yemen, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.'/><p>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.</p><p>(Image credit: Marzouq Al Jabri)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-143554' />