Medina missile claim denied by Houthis after Saudi interception

The Medina missile interception claimed by the Saudi-led coalition on Thursday drew a flat denial from Yemen’s Houthis, who called the claim a lie.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki posted a one-line statement on X, which state media also carried. It read: “Interception and destruction of a cruise missile in the Medina region.”

However, the coalition gave no word on who fired the weapon or where it was heading. Likewise, it said nothing about damage or casualties.

Houthis reject Medina missile account

Within hours, the Houthis insisted they had launched no operation against Saudi soil that day. Writing on X, military spokesman Yahya Saree branded the Saudi version “a shameless and brazen lie.” In the same post, he described Riyadh as an enemy. The group gave no further detail on its own operations that day.

Medina is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the group had earlier vowed to leave it alone.

With both sides telling opposing stories, it remains unclear what really happened. Neither statement shed light on the origin of the projectile.

Medina missile row follows earlier claims

This is not the first such accusation. According to the coalition, the Houthis also sent a drone against Taibah, an electricity substation in Medina, back on Sept. 29.

That strike put one transformer out of action, Al-Malki said. Still, power supplies held up. The substation feeds the Prophet’s Mosque.

Separately, the coalition said early on Thursday that it had shot down a drone over the Eastern Province. The day before, it reported destroying a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh.

Attacks spread across Saudi Arabia

In recent days, Houthi missile and drone fire on the kingdom has grown more intense. Strikes have killed people at airports and energy sites, and one even reached the Aramco headquarters.

At that Aramco complex in Dhahran, officials reported only a limited fire. Nobody died or suffered injuries there, they said.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have warned of more strikes. They describe airports and oil sites as legitimate military targets.

Riyadh has headed a military alliance backing Yemen’s government against the group since 2015. The Houthis, in turn, have run Sanaa and several provinces since 2014.

Economic cost of the fighting

Meanwhile, the war is also hurting the economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, Saudi output could fall 3.3% this year, an unusual slump for the Gulf kingdom. For the wider Middle East and Central Asia, the fund sees a 0.3% contraction in 2026.

Jihad Azour, the fund’s regional director, said energy-rich economies would not quickly recover. “We will not go back to the pre-war trajectory in the medium term,” he said. In his view, the shock will scar several sectors and force extra spending on resilience.

On Wednesday, the fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, also cautioned that attacks on Saudi Arabia could hurt people “everywhere.”

For now, the Medina missile dispute deepens the uncertainty, as both sides trade claims that no one can verify. Until either side offers proof, the Medina missile episode looks set to remain contested.