Saudi Arabia accuses Huthis of ‘red line’ attack on Mecca as rebels face outrage from Muslim world

Saudi Arabia said it shot down a Huthi drone near Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, on Tuesday, drawing swift regional condemnation of the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group.

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition Forces, accused the group of targeting the city, saying it was the first time in almost a decade that the Huthis had targeted Mecca.

The security of the holy site is “a red line,” he said, adding that the kingdom “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures” against the Yemeni group.

The claim was strongly denied by the Huthis, who follow the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam and also revere Mecca as a sacred city.

The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said early Wednesday that its targets were Saudi oil facilities and military bases “far removed from the holy places.”

“The fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal Saudi regime regarding targeting Mecca cannot deceive anyone,” Saree said. “There is no threat whatsoever from Yemen to the holy sites.”

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed the drone “before it entered” Mecca’s restricted airspace, without specifying how close it was to the city.

The rebel group’s swift advance in Yemen and attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia in recent weeks have put the kingdom in an increasingly difficult position, facing the prospect of being drawn into a wider conflict as the US-Iran war drags on.

Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. All Muslims worldwide are required, if they are able, to make the pilgrimage to the holy city at least once in their life, with millions making the journey each year.

“This hostile attempt will also remain a black mark in the record of violations by the extremist terrorist Huthi militia, as a deliberate act intended to provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims,” al-Maliki said in a post on X.

A ‘dastardly and heinous’ act

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member body representing 1.5 billion Muslims, also condemned the incicdent, saying the strikes “violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques” and “instill fear in innocent civilians.”

The prime minister of Pakistan, which recently signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, called it a “dastardly and heinous” act. While Shehbaz Sharif did not mention the Huthis in his statement, he affirmed his country’s support for Saudi Arabia.

The interception comes amid heavy fighting. The Huthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at several Saudi cities earlier this week, including Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, injuring 13 civilians. On Sunday, they claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi military base. And on Wednesday, the Huthis said they attacked a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, a port city on the Red Sea.

In response, Saudi forces launched airstrikes across Huthi-held areas of Yemen last Saturday and this Tuesday, according to the Huthis.

The Huthis have recently stepped up their fighting against Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and have expanded their area of control. Last week, they captured a Red Sea port city in Yemen and an island near an important waterway that has, for months, acted as a backup to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing for the export of Saudi oil and refined products.

Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia suspended oil loadings at Yanbu, its primary Red Sea export terminal, after it came under attack from militant groups within Iraq**.**

No date has been given for its resumption, Ashley Hikmet, head of crude at Axis Limited, a trading subsidiary of the Onyx Capital Group, told CNN. Satellite tracking indicates no Saudi crude has left the Red Sea ports since Saturday, he said.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia also cut supplies to Europe with immediate effect, Hikmet said, adding that Aramco notified some customers that supplies would be halted until mid-November. The supply disruptions to Europe were first reported by Reuters.

CNN has reached out to Aramco for comment.

The Huthis’ tightening grip over shipping in the Red Sea has fueled fears that the main escape valves for the region’s oil are slamming shut, as Iran and the US continue battling for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices climbed back above $100 per barrel last week following further US strikes on Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the fighting in Yemen, sparking protests around the world as people demand government action and economic relief.

CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim and Thomas Gould contributed reporting.

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