Houthis claim downing Saudi jet, deny Mecca attack as US holds talks
Houthis claim they shot down a Saudi F-15, deny targeting Mecca, as regional tensions rise and US officials meet the group in Oman.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim they have shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Marib province, a marked escalation in the conflict between the two sides. The Houthi military spokesman said a locally made weapon brought down an F-15 aircraft while it was carrying out "hostile operations". The claim could not be independently verified.
The Houthis also denied Saudi allegations that they had targeted Mecca. Riyadh said it had shot down a drone flying towards the city and accused the Houthis of crossing a red line. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the reported attempt.
Saudi Arabia's oil exports are caught in the middle. With the Strait of Hormuz risky, the kingdom has been pumping oil across its territory to the Red Sea. But Houthi strikes and attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq have taken that pipeline offline. Even if it is repaired, the Bab al-Mandab Strait remains vulnerable, leaving the Suez Canal as the only exit for ships.
Analysts say the Houthis have improved their capabilities with Iranian support, including long-range missiles and drones. The deputy foreign affairs minister of Yemen's internationally recognised government said the Houthis want to drag Saudi Arabia into a full-scale war, but the Saudis have so far avoided that.
There have been diplomatic efforts to calm the situation. China has been mediating, and US officials reportedly met Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend. The Houthis gave assurances they would not target American shipping, but any attack on Saudi oil infrastructure is likely to affect the global economy.
Separately, CBS News has obtained images showing severe damage to US facilities at two bases in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia, reportedly from Iranian missile and drone attacks.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| Houthi forces claimed they shot down a Saudi F-15 over Marib. | ||
| Houthis denied targeting Mecca. | ||
| CBS obtained images showing severe damage to US facilities at bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia from Iranian attacks. | · | |
| China was trying to broker de-escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. | · | |
| Houthis said they would only target Saudi-flagged ships in the Bab al-Mandab strait. | · | |
| Saudi Arabia shot down a drone flying towards Mecca. | · | |
| US officials met with Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This segment focuses on the military capabilities of the Houthis and the economic impact on Saudi oil exports, featuring expert analysis and an interview with a Yemeni deputy foreign minister. It also reports that US officials met Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend, adding a diplomatic dimension to the story.
- “They claim a locally-made munition brought down an F-15 aircraft over the Marib province in Yemen.”
- “One of the main goals of what the Houthis have been doing during the past couple of years was with, I mean, in coordination with Iran, of course, is to try to drag Saudi Arabia into a full-scale war in Yemen.”
- “US officials saying that they met the Houthis in Oman over the weekend.”
This segment stresses the escalation and its global economic consequences, with security correspondent Frank Gardner describing it as a clear escalation and warning of impact on world economy. It also includes a CBS News exclusive about damage to US bases from Iranian attacks, linking the Houthi conflict to broader US-Iran tensions.
- “Well it's a clear escalation isn't it? Whatever efforts are being made behind the scenes to mediate, China for example is trying to broker some kind of a de-escalation here.”
- “But clearly it's pretty heated. There's a lot of escalation and all of this, if it doesn't calm down, is going to affect the world economy.”
- “Now meanwhile pictures exclusively obtained by CBS News show severe damage to US facilities and assets at two bases in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.