Saudi Arabia has accused the Houthis of targeting the holy city of Mecca, which has sparked widespread anger in the Islamic world. The Saudi-led military coalition announced on Wednesday that the country's air defense forces identified and destroyed an invading drone "launched by the terrorist Houthi militia" before it entered Mecca's airspace.
Houthi Claims
The Houthis quickly dismissed these claims as a "tired lie." Hazem Al-Asad, a senior member of the Houthi movement, wrote on platform X: "The claims about targeting Mecca are an old lie that has been used before and no longer deceives anyone."
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Reaction of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, consisting of ٥٧ Muslim countries, described this attack as "very ugly" and stated that violating the sanctity of holy places is an unacceptable and intolerable aggression. The organization's secretariat emphasized the need to hold the perpetrators of these aggressions accountable.
Saudi Arabia is increasingly affected by the escalating conflicts in Yemen, where the Houthis are fighting against the Yemeni government forces supported by Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia left ١٣ injured, bringing the total to nearly ١٠٠ since the escalation of conflicts in July.
Saudi Arabia's Actions
In July, the Houthis also blocked Saudi oil exports in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which served as an alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. Following the attacks on the country, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, contacted Egypt on Tuesday to seek support from the country against the Houthis. The leaders of the two countries called for "guaranteeing freedom and security of maritime navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.
These escalating conflicts have opened a new front in the Middle East, which is currently also involved in the U.S. war with Iran. Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia warned its citizens on Tuesday about the "risk of targeting American interests, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans, and local laws regarding social media activities."
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