Houthi rebels gain territory in Yemen, 20th Asian Games begins, and more: The week in 5 charts

Tensions in West Asia deepened as the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia exchanged fire last week, following the former’s capture of key regions along the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca ‌before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, a spokesperson for ​the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on Wednesday last week (September 16, 2026).

Mecca is home to some of the ‌holiest sites in Islam and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, and ‌its ⁠security was a “red line”, the coalition spokesperson al-Malki said in the statement.

The Houthis have seized ​control of parts of Yemen’s Red ‌Sea coast in recent days, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s most important shipping straits, threatening Saudi Arabia’s oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz.