First Thing: Houthis appear to target Mecca as House votes to end Trump’s war on Iran

Vote comes amid Republican call to impeach defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Plus a catnapped bodega cat in Brooklyn is returned home Good morning. Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ⁠Houthi drone south of Mecca yesterday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. A spokesperson for the kingdom, which is fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen, said the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”. Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam’s holiest ​city and the focal point ‌of the annual ‌hajj pilgrimage. Meanwhile, in Washington, the US House of Representatives has voted for a third time to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution a few hours after a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report showed the conflict had cost at least $38bn and left the US stockpile of defensive missiles so depleted it could take five years to rebuild. Why is Pete Hegseth being targeted by lawmakers? Republican congressman Thomas Massie has proposed impeaching Pete Hegseth, saying the defense secretary had repeatedly violated the constitution through his handling of war with Iran and the deaths of civilians in conflicts worldwide. How is the Trump administration reversing decisions over arming Israel? Congress has been informally notified about a pending deal, with the US planning to deliver powerful 2,000lb bombs to Israel. The weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. How has Ed Sheeran responded? In a lengthy Instagram post, the British singer said: “I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together … I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine.” Continue reading...