Officials from Mecca pact states to hold talks in Iran amid regional tensions

▲ Escalating

Mecca pact officials to hold talks in Iran as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia escalate

Officials from Mecca pact states will hold talks in Iran, the first high-level contact between Iran and the bloc since the Houthis escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi barrage near Mecca, and the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a drone and a missile aimed at Riyadh plus 10 missiles targeting the southern region. Saudi Arabia reopened Riyadh airport after several deadly Houthi attacks this month, and the Houthis have threatened to strike it again.

• On Saturday the Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports, and Yemen's Saudi-backed government said the group fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard sites in Aden.
• The UN says more than 800,000 people in Taiz have been cut off from aid since the Houthis encircled the city in early October.
• A Taiz hospital warned it could collapse within days because of shortages of fuel, medicines and oxygen.
• Egypt is considering helping defend Saudi Arabia, while the US is helping with AI-assisted targeting.