Cairo, 16 September

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 US 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 assistance. A path to either one remains unclear.

A crucial Saudi pipeline is reportedly shut down for weeks after an attack. The Yemen-based Houthis have been targeting infrastructure in the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea, where they have seized several islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. And Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above USD 100 a barrel.

The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, about 1,100 kilometres (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.

Turkiye and Pakistan say the Saudis haven't asked for help

The attacks are the first test of a new defence pact among Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkiye and nuclear power Pakistan. But officials from Turkiye 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 “institutionalise” 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.

As part of the condemnation of the attempted drone attack on Mecca, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country and the Saudis stand “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder.” Criticism also came from the Organisation 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 fighting the rebels.

Houthis claim shooting down an F-15 fighter jet

Later Wednesday, the rebels claimed, without offering evidence, that they shot down an F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-led coalition 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.

The rebels at times take days to claim attacks.

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

For now, the US is staying out of the fight

The United States has sold billions of dollars in weapons to Saudi Arabia and has committed to providing training and other support to protect the kingdom, but top US 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,” US 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.

On the ground, forces with Yemen's internationally recognised government have said they are regrouping to combat the Houthis after fleeing the rebels' advance. But those forces are a collection of armed groups with varying aims.

Iran's top diplomat is in China

While Saudi Arabia appeared to face the choice of pursuing diplomacy or taking the fight to the Houthis, the top diplomat for rival Iran was in China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US and Iran to exercise restraint and reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, and expressed China's concern about the fighting's spread to Yemen and the Red Sea, according to China's foreign ministry after the meeting with Abbas Araghchi.

There was no immediate comment from Araghchi afterwards.

China has avoided direct involvement in the war, but President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend again offered Beijing's help in ending it.

Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered somewhat as tankers risk using a route near Oman on the other side of the waterway, with guidance from US forces. Estimates vary because ships can turn off location systems, but range from 5 million to 7 million barrels per day on average, less than half the amount before the war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.