Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen claimed Wednesday it shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemeni territory using a locally made missile, hours after Saudi Arabia accused the group of firing a drone toward Mecca. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the downing on social media, while Saudi authorities did not respond to comment requests. Earlier, Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki stated a Houthi drone was intercepted and destroyed south of Mecca on Tuesday as it headed toward prohibited airspace over the holy city. Saree strongly denied targeting Mecca, dismissing the allegation as "fabrication and lies" and asserting "no threat whatsoever to the holy sites from Yemen."

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the renewed conflict between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia. The fighting has threatened Middle East stability already strained by the U.S.-Iran war, spiking energy prices amid concerns over global oil supplies. Houthi attacks threaten Saudi oil shipments, and the kingdom faces strategic shock, analysts say. Last week, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to take military action against the Houthis but was rebuffed.

Any drone strike on Mecca, Islam's holiest site hosting over 1.7 million hajj pilgrims this year, would spark global Muslim outrage. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the alleged attack as violating holy site sanctity. Houthi forces have recently seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial choke point for Saudi oil exports after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. A 2022 truce has largely unraveled with fierce ground clashes ongoing.