Mecca on edge as Houthi missiles target Saudi coast

Missile warning sirens rang in Taif, Jeddah, and Mecca after Houthi rebels launched missiles toward Saudi Arabia’s western coast; authorities urged residents to leave protected areas and no immediate casualties were reported. Mecca— Islam’s holiest city—saw heightened alerts as air traffic to Medina was halted. Earlier, Saudi and Yemeni government forces struck targets near Taiz as Houthis push to break the siege there. The piece also notes a US-Saudi plan to expand the southern Hormuz shipping lane to offset the Bab al-Mandeb blockade, with US Navy facilitating tanker transits and indicating readiness to counter Iran’s strike capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.