Iran rejects accusations Houthis targeted Mecca, suggests it could be 'false flag' operation

Iran rejects accusations Houthis targeted Mecca, suggests it could be 'false flag' operation

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned on Thursday any aggression against Islamic holy sites, particularly Mecca, but pointed out that "a mere claim" of intercepting a drone is not enough to accuse the Houthis of the act. 

In a post to X, Baghaei emphasised "the necessity of preventing the politicization of the issue of Islamic sanctities and their security, and of not using it as a tool to incite strife and escalate regional tensions".

He also warned that "our region has witnessed numerous instances of 'false flag' operations" to divert attention from Israel and US crimes in the region and create "discord among Islamic countries", urging "caution and vigilance must be exercised!"

Many regional countries have condemned the attempted drone attack against Mecca, intercepted by Saudi Arabia, and accused the Houthis of targeting the holy site, although the Yemeni group denies any involvement in the attack.

ان أيّ اعتداء على الأماكن المقدسة الإسلامية، ولا سيما مكة المكرمة والمدينة المنورة والمسجد الأقصى، وكذلك تهديد الزائرين والمجاورين لها، هو أمرٌ مدان.

وفي الوقت نفسه، فإن مجرد ادعاء اعتراض طائرة مسيّرة في طريقها إلى مكة المكرمة لا يمكن أن يشكّل أساسًا لاتهام طرفٍ بعينه، ولا سيما…

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) September 17, 2026