The Saudi-led military coalition on Wednesday accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of attempting to target Mecca with a drone, sparking outrage in the Muslim world and escalating tensions in the renewed war in Yemen.
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The Houthis have been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly targeting oil and military installations in the south of the kingdom, and claim that Riyadh is carrying out intensive airstrikes on areas under their control. Last week, following a swift and widespread offensive, the Houthis expanded their territory, seizing control of the entire western coast up to Bab al-Mandab , the strait that connects the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and thus Asia to Europe via Egypt's vital Suez Canal.
The Ansar Allah movement, through its political bureau member Hazam al-Assad, was quick to reject Riyadh’s announcement regarding the downing of a drone that was heading towards Mecca, describing the Kingdom’s account as a “lie.”
“The claim that Mecca was targeted is a tired lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone,” Assad.
In response, the Saudi-led military coalition vowed to retaliate, stressing that the security of Islamic holy sites is a “red line.”
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stressed in a statement published on the X platform that “the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” emphasizing “the lack of hesitation in taking the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia and its hostile and terrorist behavior.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned on Wednesday what it described as “the heinous attacks launched by the Houthi group on the holy city of Mecca and the Medina region, and its continued aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia issued weather warnings in the provinces of Jeddah and Taif, and also in the city of Mecca for the first time since the outbreak of the war, before quickly lifting them.
These warnings came a day after a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen injured 13 people in southern Saudi Arabia.
100,000 displaced people
Yemen returned to the forefront of regional escalation in July, with renewed confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia against the backdrop of the war between the United States and Iran.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday that at least 100,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed in Yemen between the Houthis and government forces.
She said that “the rapid escalation of hostilities along Yemen’s west coast has caused more than 100,000 people to be displaced within the country, and has prompted thousands more to seek refuge in Djibouti, on the other side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.”
According to Abdullah al-Saadi, Yemen’s permanent representative to the United Nations, representing the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia, Yemenis are fighting to restore “state institutions in every inch of their territory,” calling on the international community to take action against the Houthis.
“A hostile and extremist approach”
At this time, Saudi Arabia and Egypt stressed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea after the Houthis took control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait area.
The joint stance came during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Cairo, where he met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
In a statement issued by the presidency in Cairo after Sisi received bin Salman , the two sides affirmed “the Egyptian-Saudi position keen on ensuring the freedom and security of maritime navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab and in the Red Sea, where the President stressed Egypt’s support for the measures taken by the Kingdom to protect its security and stability, and to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution to the Yemeni crisis.”
Egypt affirmed its condemnation of “any attacks or threats that affect the sovereignty of the Kingdom,” noting that “the current circumstances require more solidarity and coordination between the two countries, and that the interests and goals of the two countries are one and there is absolute understanding between them.”
Analysts believe this conflict cannot be separated from the broader war in the region. American media outlets reported that President Donald Trump rejected a request from Mohammed bin Salman to intervene in the war with the Houthis.
Last week, the Houthis stressed that navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait was “safe” for all ships, except those from Saudi Arabia, as a continuation of the naval blockade they announced they were imposing on the Kingdom’s ports in the Red Sea,in what they said was a response to Riyadh’s blockade of the areas under their control.
Navigation through Bab al-Mandab is a key issue for Egypt, as the strait is the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, which provides a large part of Cairo's revenues.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty stated last week that his country was among the most affected by the disruptions to navigation resulting from the Middle East war, and that the losses to the Suez Canal amounted to nearly $11 billion.
In this context, Qatar warned on Tuesday that closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait would have “catastrophic repercussions for the entire world,” according to Ibrahim al-Hashemi, Director of the Media and Communication Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A U.S. official said a U.S. military task force is currently working to enhance intelligence sharing and provide planning support to Saudi forces in response to attacks they are facing.
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