The United States has warned all Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia amid the growing threat from the Houthis.
RIYADH — A fresh wave of regional tensions has prompted Washington to sound the alarm. As Houthi attacks intensify in Saudi Arabia and security alerts reach other areas, including Mecca, the U.S. Embassy is urging Americans to reconsider travel to the kingdom, citing increased threats from missiles, drones, terrorism and armed conflict.
In its new travel advisory, the US State Department has urged Americans to reconsider travel to the kingdom, as Saudi officials respond to a new wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks that have now prompted a security alert in and around Mecca.
The US embassy’s warning points to the risk of Iranian drone and missile attacks against US interests, armed conflict, terrorism, export embargoes and legal consequences associated with social media activities. It separately tells Americans not to “travel” to areas near the border with Yemen, citing the threat of terrorism.
The warning comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Saudi Arabia: authorities have reported intercepting a Houthi drone south of Mecca before entering the holy city’s restricted airspace.
For Saudi Arabia, this incident is more than a warning of another attack. Mecca is home to the Kaaba and the Jama Masjid, and any reported threat to the holy city carries extraordinary religious and political significance. Saudi officials said air defenses detected and destroyed a Houthi drone on September 15-16, the wreckage of which reportedly fell south of Mecca.
A coalition spokesman described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah after the 2017 missile incident. However, the Houthis rejected the charge, insisting they did not target Mecca or any Islamic holy sites, and dismissed the Saudi claim as a repeated accusation.
The Pakistani government, OIC and other Islamic states have condemned the reported incident. Saudi Arabia’s national warning system issued alerts in several locations, including Makkah, Jeddah and Taif, and lifted them shortly after.
The Makkah alert was particularly important because such alerts are rare in the city. Reports call it the first specific alert there in nearly a decade, recalling tensions surrounding the 2017 missile incident. Residents receiving emergency warnings are generally instructed to remain calm, stay indoors, avoid windows and follow government guidelines.
The Houthis’ alleged drone attack on Makkah failed, the Saudi coalition vowed to give a strong response.
The warnings underscore how the Houthi rebels’ latest offensive has extended beyond the kingdom’s traditional southern battleground.
Cross-border attacks began after Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners intervened in Yemen’s civil war in March 2015, supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement later launched a sustained campaign using ballistic missiles, rockets and drones.
Jazan, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushit were repeatedly targeted, while airports, military installations, border posts and energy infrastructure were targeted. Over the years, the state faced repeated attacks before the conflict entered a period of relative calm following a 2022 ceasefire.
The latest tensions reportedly began to escalate in July 2026 against the backdrop of a wider conflict between the US and Iran and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the drone attack in Makkah
The post America has warned all Americans to reconsider their trip to Saudi Arabia amid the growing threat of the Houthis appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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