Houthi leader accuses Saudi Arabia of exploiting Mecca for political purposes

Houthi movement leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi accused Saudi Arabia of using Mecca as a “banner of oppression” to achieve its political and military goals in Yemen, in a one-hour speech delivered from Sanaa.

Al-Houthi called the Saudi claim that the Ansar Allah group is targeting Mecca, the holy city of Islam, “a lie and a deception.” He called on the countries of the Muslim world to support Yemen in condemning Saudi Arabia for using the holy site for political purposes.

According to the Houthi leader, this is the 12th year of Saudi aggression, and the current round of the conflict began with the Saudi military operation against Sanaa international airport — an event which, he said, set in motion a domino effect that led to the advance of Ansar Allah toward the south, with the capture of Mokha, Dhabab and Bab al-Mandeb.

Al-Houthi said Saudi Arabia forced Yemen into a defensive position and that current actions on the battlefield are defense against a country that, according to him, is “inclined to keep Yemen oppressed and in captivity.”

He also accused the United States and “the Zionists” of leading the military effort on behalf of Saudi Arabia, imposing political policies on Riyadh and pushing it to act militarily.

Source: Al Jazeera — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/