Houthis dare to target the Muslims' Qibla and grant guarantees to the Israeli occupation!

Saudi Arabia announced late on the day before yesterday that its air defenses shot down a drone launched by the Houthis toward Mecca, sparking widespread Islamic condemnation of the audacity to threaten the qibla of Muslims.

Kuwait affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and the protection of the Two Holy Mosques, praising the vigilance and efficiency of Saudi air defenses in intercepting this attempt. It emphasized that the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of Kuwait’s security and that of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, stated that Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed an enemy drone at 6:50 p.m. on the day before yesterday, after it was launched by the Houthi militia and before it entered the restricted airspace of the Holy Capital.

Al-Maliki added that this terrorist attempt marks the second targeting of Mecca since a ballistic missile was launched on July 27, 2017. He described the act as shameful, an attempt to target the site of divine revelation, the land of the message, and the destination of the hearts of millions of Muslims from various countries, as well as an act of terrorizing the safe guests of the House of God and harming citizens and residents.

He stressed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the guests of the Merciful is a red line, affirming that the coalition leadership will not hesitate to take necessary and deterrent measures against the Houthi militia.

For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “the cowardly terrorist aggression toward the Holy Land, the land of the message, the site of divine revelation, and the qibla of Muslims, constitutes a repetition of the terrorist Houthi militia’s practices of targeting and violating the sacred sites, and a provocation of the sentiments of Muslims in all parts of the world.”

The Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of “the Two Holy Mosques and the guests of the Merciful, as well as all its territories, citizens, and residents,” calling on the international community to take a firm stance to deter the Houthi militia from targeting sacred sites and threatening freedom of navigation and international trade.

Arabic, Islamic, and international condemnations followed the Houthi attacks on civilians, civilian facilities, and Islamic sanctuaries in Saudi Arabia, with full solidarity affirmed with the Kingdom and rejection of the targeting of its territory and violation of its sovereignty.

Yemeni Minister of Information Maam al-Ariani stated that “whoever puts the qibla of Muslims in danger will not be concerned about Al-Aqsa Mosque, and whoever threatens the security of Mecca while raising slogans of liberating Jerusalem is practicing one of the clearest and most blatant forms of political exploitation of the Palestinian cause.”

This came as the Iran-aligned Houthi militia offered reassurances to Israel and the United States that they would not target their vessels in the Red Sea.

At the height of the Houthis’ escalation in Yemen and their continued aggression against Islamic sanctuaries and civilian sites in Saudi Arabia, their representatives met with U.S. officials in the Sultanate of Oman last Sunday, informing them that their group does not intend to attack U.S. ships and is committed to the ceasefire reached in 2025 with the administration of President Donald Trump. They also stated that they would not attack Israeli vessels or any commercial ships, except those belonging to Saudi Arabia.

Trump announced last Saturday that the Houthis had contacted his administration, requesting that the United States stay out of the war in Yemen. Vice President JD Vance confirmed last Monday that Washington is in direct contact with the group.

Haaretz reported that the Israeli military had advised the political leadership to avoid an attack on the Houthis and to refrain from any operations that would place Israel at the forefront of a military confrontation with them, following their seizure of the port city of Al-Mukha and other strategic points in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.