Al-Houthi Denounces Saudi Claims of Yemeni Targeting of Mecca as “Heinous Lie”

Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has rejected Saudi Arabia’s allegations that Yemeni forces targeted the holy city of Mecca, describing them as a “major, ugly and heinous lie” intended to justify Riyadh’s continued aggression.

In a speech aired by Al-Masirah Television on Thursday evening, al-Houthi accused Saudi Arabia of repeatedly spreading the claim to prompt swift, unverified condemnation from international parties and manufacture justifications for alleged war crimes against Yemenis.

Al-Houthi said no rational Muslim who values their Islamic identity would believe or accept what he described as slander against a people whom Prophet Muhammad praised as embodying faith and wisdom.

Al-Houthi said the Yemeni people and armed forces hold Islamic holy sites in the highest regard, describing Saudi Arabia’s accusation as a direct affront to Yemen’s religious, humanitarian and moral dignity.

He said the lives, livelihoods and very existence of Yemenis were being sacrificed in defense of Mecca and other Islamic holy sites.

He said the Yemeni people have consistently been among the first to mobilize in large-scale defense of their faith when Islam, the Quran or holy sites are insulted, accusing Israel—described by him as an enemy of Islam and a state aligned with Saudi Arabia—of such actions.

Hypocrisy in ‘petrodollar’ condemnations

The Ansarullah leader condemned the Saudi government’s moral and political record, accusing it of deep hypocrisy.

He accused Riyadh of using Mecca’s religious significance as political cover while promoting what he described as moral corruption, normalizing relations with Israel, and conducting a prolonged war and blockade against Yemen.

Furthermore, al-Houthi strongly criticized international and regional parties for promptly issuing condemnations based solely on Saudi allegations, without conducting independent verification.

Citing Quranic injunctions urging believers to verify reports from unreliable sources, he accused the parties of complicity in a “manifest sin.”

He said their responses were motivated by financial reliance on petrodollars and short-term political interests, rather than sincere moral or religious convictions.

Facing the “real enemy”

Concluding his remarks, the Ansarullah leader urged those claiming to defend Islamic holy sites to focus their efforts and express genuine outrage at the “real and clear enemy.”

He said Israel’s literature, official statements and political plans posed an explicit threat to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Mecca and Medina, urging the Islamic world to address what he described as a genuine danger rather than be misled by narratives from Riyadh.

Al-Houthi said the Yemeni people and their armed forces retain the full legal, moral and religious right to respond to what he described as slander and continuing injustice against them.

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Since the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen began in 2015, Riyadh has repeatedly accused Yemen’s armed forces of targeting Mecca and other Saudi cities with ballistic missiles and drones.

The Saudi government has historically cited these allegations to justify extensive airstrikes on Yemeni infrastructure and the imposition of a severe land, sea and air blockade.

Yemeni officials have repeatedly said the country’s military operations are defensive and proportionate, intended solely to pressure the Saudi-led coalition to end its campaign, respect Yemen’s sovereignty and lift what they describe as an unjust siege on the Yemeni population.