Yemen’s Houthi chief rejects Saudi allegations of drone strike on Mecca

Abdel‑Malik al‑Houthi, the senior political leader of Yemen’s Houthi group, publicly denied that his forces had targeted the sacred city of Mecca. Speaking on Al‑Masirah television, he described the claim as "completely false" and suggested it was intended to boost support for new coalition offensives.

He said the accusation of a Houthi‑planned attack on the holy city is a fabrication meant to legitimize further military measures against the rebels.

Al‑Houthi also criticized Saudi Arabia for not taking decisive steps toward a political settlement during a short period of reduced hostilities earlier in the year, noting that the coalition’s continuing restrictions on Houthi‑controlled airports and cargo imports remain unaddressed.

He appealed to Houthi supporters nationwide to organize large demonstrations on Friday to protest what he called "spurious Saudi claims and slander".

A day after his remarks, the Saudi‑led coalition announced that its Royal Saudi Air Defense forces intercepted and destroyed a drone that it said attempted to enter Mecca’s restricted airspace. The coalition warned that any attack on Islam’s two holiest sites would trigger a red‑line response.

The coalition also recalled a 2017 incident in which it claimed Houthi militants tried to launch a ballistic missile at Mecca.

These statements come as Houthi fighters have recently secured gains along Yemen’s Red Sea shoreline and around the crucial Bab al‑Mandab Strait, while Saudi targets have faced an upsurge in missile and drone assaults.