King Salman publicly denounced Yemen's Houthi movement as a "terrorist militia," accusing the Iran-aligned group of repeatedly targeting Mecca and calling such acts a "heinous crime" that offends Muslims worldwide. Saudi authorities say they intercepted a drone headed for Mecca and a ballistic missile toward Riyadh; the Houthis have denied the Mecca drone claim. The incidents prompted rare security alerts in Mecca and heightened concerns about attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping. Saudi, Turkiye and Pakistan have signed a Mecca Joint Defence Agreement amid growing regional tensions.
King Salman Denounces Houthis As 'Terrorist Militia' After Alleged Attacks On Mecca
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud [Handout/Saudi Press Agency]
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has strongly condemned Yemen's Houthi movement, calling the Iran-aligned group a "terrorist militia" and accusing it of repeatedly targeting the holy city of Mecca. The 90-year-old monarch made the remarks at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
King Salman described the suspected Houthi strikes toward Mecca as a "heinous crime" and said such actions constitute a provocation against Muslim sentiment worldwide. The king praised Saudi military and security forces for "defending the homeland and resolutely confronting any aggression against the holy sites, pilgrims, citizens and residents of the Kingdom."
Claims, Denials and Security Alerts
Saudi authorities said they intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis that was headed toward Mecca; the Houthis denied the allegation, with leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi calling the Saudi claims "a heinous lie." Officials also reported that a security alert in Mecca — home to the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site — was the first of its kind there in nearly a decade.
Separately, the Saudi-led coalition reported it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis toward Riyadh, an attack that reportedly sent a column of smoke rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.
Wider Regional Impact
Houthi missile and drone strikes have increasingly targeted Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and commercial shipping, widening a regional front amid tensions that escalated after intense exchanges between Israel and Iran this year. The group has also extended its control along much of Yemen's Red Sea coast, raising concerns about threats to global energy supplies and shipping routes that many nations rely on.
Diplomatically, King Salman referenced recent high-level contacts linked to the crisis: a meeting in Cairo between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the king's discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about efforts to bolster regional stability and the security and freedom of maritime navigation.
The report also noted that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan recently signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack on any one member is considered an attack on all.
Context: The situation remains fluid. Claims and counterclaims from the parties involved have not been independently verified in all cases, and regional diplomatic and military responses continue to evolve.
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