From Mecca's red line to the 'Gate of Tears': How US-Iran war is closing in on MBS

Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone just south of Mecca on Tuesday before it could enter the holy city's restricted airspace.Saudi military spokesperson Turki al-Malki described the security of the holy sites and pilgrims as a “red line” and warned of measures against the Houthis.However,Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad rejected it, writing on X: “The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.”Why it matters: Mecca changes the political stakesMecca is the destination of the Haj and home to the Kaaba, towards which Muslims worldwide pray. Saudi Arabia’s responsibility for the holy sites is central to the monarchy’s standing across the Muslim world.A strike on or near Mecca could carry consequences that military and economic calculations cannot easily contain.For Riyadh, that creates a particularly difficult test.