Saudi Arabia intercepts drone near Mecca, denies Houthi claim

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels near Mecca. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed the drone was neutralized in the region surrounding Islam’s holiest city, a destination for millions of pilgrims annually.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the coalition, provided the details of the interception. The Houthis, however, rejected the claim that they targeted the city. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, stated that their operations focus on Saudi oil facilities and military bases rather than Mecca. This denial follows a pattern in which Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting projectiles headed toward Mecca and Medina, while the Houthis maintain they do not aim for either city.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continued on Friday. Qatari mediators returned to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials. According to the IRNA state news agency, the delegation was led by Qatar’s foreign minister and a senior adviser to the prime minister. They met with senior Iranian officials, though specific names were not disclosed.

These talks follow recent outreach from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who sent a letter to Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Tehran acknowledged receipt of the letter on Thursday but said it had not yet responded. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the letter concerned humanitarian aid rather than peace negotiations. Regional diplomats reported that U.S. officials have advised Middle East allies to prepare for possible renewed military action against Iran following next week’s U.S. midterm elections.

Tensions also rose in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it stopped two oil tankers attempting to use unauthorized routes through the waterway. The Guard’s navy reported stopping one tanker in the eastern part of the strait and the other in the western part. Both vessels had turned off their navigation systems and attempted to leave with U.S. military support, the Guard said. The vessels ignored repeated radio warnings.

The British military’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported one vessel on fire northeast of Oman and another tanker attacked off the country’s northwest tip. Iran requires ships to communicate with its authorities and follow a route on the north side of the strait near its coast. Ships seeking to avoid Iranian waters have been using the south side.

In Syria, civil defense teams searched for missing persons in eastern regions after flash floods caused fatalities. The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management reported that at least five people, including four children, died in rural areas of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces. State-run SANA news agency reported that rescue teams saved dozens of people trapped by rising waters or stranded in vehicles. Hundreds of families were evacuated from camps for internally displaced people in northern Syria.

In Gaza, Palestinians expressed little expectation that Israel’s recent election results would improve their situation. Near-daily Israeli strikes continue despite a ceasefire. Ziad Abed, a resident of Maghazi in central Gaza, said, “Suffering in Gaza will remain exactly as it is. Nothing will change for us, whether it is Netanyahu or Eisenkot.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot failed to secure a parliamentary majority in this week’s election. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, Eisenkot’s won 48, and Arab-led parties secured 19 seats. This result places coalition negotiations ahead. Arab-led parties secured their largest number of seats in Israel’s parliament, leading some Palestinians to hope for progress. Yazan Hamad, a man displaced from northern Gaza, noted that an alliance with these parties could lead to progress, though it is unclear if either main party will work with them.