Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia escalated yesterday, after Riyadh announced the interception and destruction of a drone launched towards Makkah, stressing that the security of the Two Holy Mosques is a "red line," amid a wide wave of Arab, Islamic and international condemnations, and coinciding with the revelation of an unannounced meeting between American officials and representatives of the Houthis in the Sultanate of Oman, at a time when fears are growing of the war widening and threatening navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, said that the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces detected and intercepted the drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening, before it entered the city's restricted airspace.
Al-Maliki stressed that “the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” emphasising that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the Houthi militia.
The coalition said the incident represented the second attempt to target Makkah, after a ballistic missile was launched towards it in July 2017.
The incident sparked widespread condemnation, with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation denouncing what it described as attacks on Makkah and the Medina region, stressing that they represent a violation of the sanctity of holy sites and a provocation of the feelings of Muslims around the world.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attempt to target Makkah, describing the attack as "criminal and heinous," and affirming his country's solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, condemned “in the strongest and harshest terms the treacherous terrorist attempt carried out by the Houthi militia to target the holy capital, Makkah, with a drone.”
He said, “This heinous Houthi criminal act represents a very dangerous escalation, a crossing of all lines and boundaries, and a blatant violation of the sanctity of the holiest places on earth and the Qibla of Muslims.”
This coincided with condemnations and expressions of solidarity issued by Egypt, Lebanon, Al-Azhar, Jordan, Kuwait and South Korea regarding the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and an affirmation of support for the Kingdom in protecting its security, sovereignty, citizens and holy sites.
In parallel with the military escalation, Reuters revealed, citing five informed sources, that US officials met with representatives of the Houthi militia earlier this week in Oman, days after the Houthis swept through Yemen’s west coast.
Three sources said the unannounced meeting took place at the US embassy in Muscat, while two sources reported that the Omani government helped arrange it.
According to the sources, officials from the US embassy and prominent Houthi figures participated in the meeting.
The escalation comes after the Houthi militia made significant advances on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seized strategic locations, including the port of Mocha and Perim Island at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising concerns about one of the world’s most important trade and energy routes.
At an emergency meeting of the Security Council, the United Nations warned that the situation in and around Bab al-Mandab had become more volatile, noting that fighting on the west coast had displaced at least 125,000 people in Yemen since the beginning of September.
It called on all parties to de-escalate, protect civilians, ensure freedom of navigation, and return to a political path to end the conflict.