Saudi-led coalition blames Houthis for drone attack on Medina power station

A drone strike targeted a power distribution station in the Saudi holy city of Medina earlier this week, putting a transformer out of service but leaving the local electricity grid intact, the Saudi-led military coalition has said.

The strike on Tuesday hit the Taibah distribution station, which supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque, one of the most sacred sites in Islam. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki said on Thursday that investigators had examined drone wreckage at the scene, confirming that Yemen's Houthi militia planned and carried out the attack.

The Houthis have not yet commented on the Medina strike, though they have previously denied targeting Islamic holy sites. The incident follows another reported confrontation two weeks ago, when the coalition said it intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter restricted airspace.

Broadening cross-border strikes

The Medina attack is part of a broader surge in hostilities. On Thursday, the coalition said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired towards Jazan and Khamis Mushait on the Red Sea coast.

Debris from the interceptions in Khamis Mushait, which was also targeted by drones, fell on residential areas, damaging buildings and vehicles, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

These attacks signal a dangerous turn in a conflict that had largely been frozen. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 had halted major cross-border strikes, but that agreement fell apart this year. The regional security situation has deteriorated rapidly since February, when the United States launched military action against Iran.

Geopolitical and energy implications

In July, the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and renewed their offensive. Houthi forces have since captured almost the entirety of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

This territorial shift has severe implications for global oil markets. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed due to the US-Iran war, Saudi Arabia has had to rely heavily on Red Sea routes to export its crude. The Houthi presence at the Bab el-Mandeb choke point leaves those exports highly vulnerable.

While the US has restricted its support for the Saudi-led coalition to intelligence sharing, Riyadh is seeking other security arrangements. In August, Saudi Arabia signed a trilateral defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan to help secure its territory against the escalating threat.