Saudi Arabia Withdraws Emergency Warning Over Potential Attack in Mecca

Saudi Arabia briefly issued an emergency warning anticipating potential attacks in several regions, including the holy city of Mecca and the kingdom’s second-largest city, Jeddah. The warning followed a series of attacks over the past week by Iran-aligned armed groups, which have increasingly drawn the country into the Middle East conflict.

According to Reuters on Tuesday (15/9/2026), the warning was withdrawn shortly after being issued. Saudi authorities reported no projectiles had fallen, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The warning covered the widest area since the conflict escalated last week; warning sirens sounded in Mecca for the first time during this war in the city, which is home to sites sacred to all Muslims.

The Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen has announced a number of major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including an attack on an airbase on Monday which they claimed was in response to air strikes in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia accused another pro-Iran movement based in Iraq of responsibility for Friday’s attack, which paralysed one of the kingdom’s most important oil transport routes, the East-West Pipeline that crosses the Arabian desert.

The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said 13 civilians were wounded in Monday’s Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia.

The Iran-backed armed groups launched lightning attacks along Yemen’s western coast last week, culminating in the seizure of an island at the mouth of the Red Sea.