Saudi King Salman condemns Houthi targeting of Mecca as terrorist act

September 23, 2026 at 01:27 AM2 min

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Saudi Arabia's King Salman branded Yemen's Houthi movement a 'terrorist militia' and accused it of repeatedly targeting Mecca, the official Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday. The 90-year-old monarch called the suspected targeting of Islam's holiest city a 'heinous crime' and a provocation against Muslims worldwide. The rare intervention came after Saudi forces intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca last week, an accusation the Houthis denied.

Key Facts

King Salman called the suspected Houthi targeting of Mecca a 'heinous crime' and a provocation against Muslim sentiment worldwide.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a Houthi drone launched towards Mecca last week, an accusation Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi called 'a heinous lie'.
Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh on Saturday, sending smoke from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.
Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement last month, treating an armed attack on any member as an attack on all three.

Royal Condemnation

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud branded Yemen's armed Houthi movement a 'terrorist militia' during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The 90-year-old monarch's sharp intervention in current affairs is rare, as most day-to-day governance is led by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. King Salman commended Saudi military and security services for 'defending the homeland and resolutely confronting any aggression against the holy sites, pilgrims, citizens and residents of the Kingdom'.

Escalating Attacks

Houthi missile and drone attacks increasingly target Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and shipping, opening another front in the wider regional conflict that began with the US and Israel's war on Iran in February. Last week's drone interception near Mecca triggered the first security alert in the holy city in nearly 10 years. The escalation has raised stakes for global energy supplies as Houthi fighters expanded control to Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, an alternative route for Saudi oil exports amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade. King Salman also cited the crown prince's meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo and conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron on regional stability and maritime navigation.