Saudi Arabia says it shot down drone south of Mecca — Jerusalem Post
Saudi Arabia said its air defense forces shot down a drone south of Mecca. The Jerusalem Post reported this, citing a Saudi statement. Mecca is Islam’s holiest city.
Assessment by a Bahraini analyst
Bahraini political analyst Ahmed Alkhuzaiye told the publication that the incident near Mecca failed to unite Middle Eastern states in responding to threats that, in his view, are posed by the Iranian axis. He claims that the region’s states have for many years been too divided to respond to these threats jointly.
According to Alkhuzaiye, only Morocco and Jordan managed to coordinate their positions with the Gulf states. Lebanon, in his assessment, is focused on restoring internal sovereignty, while Egypt is focused on financial difficulties and other regional issues. The analyst also mentioned Algeria, which, he said, has different alliance ties, particularly after it severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates last week.
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Possible changes in alliances
Alkhuzaiye predicts further changes in regional arrangements and alliances, particularly in the context of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which Riyadh, Islamabad and Ankara signed last month. He suggested that some Arab states may move closer to Israel more pragmatically.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the group’s involvement in the attack. Alkhuzaiye believes the Houthis may blame Israel in order to increase tensions and justify attacks by the Iranian axis on U.S. facilities. This is the analyst’s assessment, not an established fact.
Separately, the publication notes that Israel’s ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Shelley, said on KAN that another country, likely Kuwait, could join the Abraham Accords within four to six months.
