Iran Rejects Claims Houthis Targeted Mecca: ‘Any Aggression Against Holy Sites Is Unacceptable’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei declared on Thursday that any aggression against Islamic holy sites, including the cities of Mecca and Medina, is condemned and unacceptable.

Baghaei’s statement, posted on X, comes after Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had launched a drone toward Mecca, which was intercepted. According to the Iranian spokesperson, a “mere claim” of intercepting a drone “en route to Mecca” is not enough to accuse the Houthis of targeting the holy city.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the necessity of preventing the politicization of religious sanctities, which serves only the interests of the Zionist regime,” Baghaei said.

He added that the region has seen numerous cases of “false flag operations, particularly by the Zionist regime, designed to implicate Muslims and shift blame onto others.”

The Iranian denial comes after Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi also called the Saudi claim an “ugly lie,” saying his group never targeted Mecca.

Source: Al Jazeera