Saudi-Led Coalition Blames Houthis for Power Station Attack in Medina Amid Escalating Clashes in Yemen

The Saudi-led alliance fighting Yemen’s Houthis has accused the Iran-aligned group of launching an attack on an electricity facility in the Muslim holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, a claim that the Houthis have strongly denied.

According to the Saudi-led coalition, a power distribution station supplying electricity to the Masjid an-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque) was targeted on Tuesday. The strike put one transformer out of service, though the wider electricity network remained unaffected. Investigations involving drone wreckage reportedly confirmed Houthi involvement.

A Houthi military source, speaking through the Houthi-run Saba news agency, dismissed the allegations as a "lie" intended to mask Saudi Arabia's failure to prove earlier claims that the group targeted the Muslim holy city of Mecca. The coalition countered that the incident formed part of broader attempts to target both the Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Mecca and Masjid an-Nabawi to provoke Muslims globally. Additionally, the coalition reported intercepting and destroying four drones over Khamis Mushait and two ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Jazan.

Meanwhile, in Yemen, forces backed by Saudi Arabia reported fierce battles and heavy Houthi casualties across the Taiz province. Yemen’s army stated on X that heavy fighting broke out in the Jabal Habashi and Maqbanah districts, as well as the al-Aqrud front in the al-Masrakh district. Military sources claimed at least 30 Houthi fighters were killed on the al-Aqrud front alone, alongside multiple airstrikes targeting western and southeastern fronts in Taiz.

Displacement figures continue to rise, with government data showing nearly 198,000 internally displaced individuals registered, a significant portion of whom are sheltered in Taiz and Lahij provinces.

Amid these developments, Saudi Arabia announced 224 million Saudi riyals ($59.7m) in budget support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government to strengthen fiscal policy and local purchasing power, as noted by Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jabir on X. Tensions remain high following recent Houthi movements near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea city of Mocha.