• OIC, Islamabad, Riyadh slam attempted incursion on holy city of Makkah
• Yemeni rebels reject allegation as ‘a worn-out lie’; report fresh Saudi airstrikes across Taiz, Marib, and Hodeidah
• Pakistan, China, US call for return to negotiations
• US issues travel advisory asking citizens to ‘reconsider travel’ to Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Tuesday joined the Muslim world in condemning Houthi attacks on holy cities in Saudi Arabia and called for urgent de-escalation in Yemen, while the United States and China urged restraint and renewed diplomacy as the rapidly-worsening conflict threatened the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the targeting of Mecca as a “cowardly terrorist attack” and reaffirmed the kingdom’s right to “defend the security of the two holy mosques, the pilgrims, and the entire Saudi territory”.
Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad, however, dismissed the accusation as “a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone”.
One Makkah resident told the AFP news agency they “saw a few people panicking, running to the window to see what happened” after locals received an alert on their phones warning of an attack.
But, they added, “life is normal in Makkah, and there have been previous incidents in Makkah so this isn’t the first one.” Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of launching attacks towards the city in an earlier conflict.
“I won’t hide that we were scared,” another resident said on condition of anonymity. “Aren’t they Muslims? They’re targeting the holiest city. What’s inside to target?”
The Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis vowed retaliation, saying “the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line”.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi Arabia had launched more than 450 strikes on Yemen this week, and that in response, the group had targeted a Saudi air base in the south and a state oil company facility in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
The group also claimed on Wednesday to have shot down a Saudi fighter jet.
On Wednesday evening, Saree claimed “Saudi warplanes launched 40 airstrikes... targeting the provinces of Taiz, Marib, and Hodeidah over the past 24 hours”.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the “heinous attacks”, while Arab League chief Nabil Fahmy called it “a matter of extreme gravity”. The governments of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan also voiced outrage.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack against the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X.
Calling it a “reprehensible and unforgivable act”, the prime minister urged the warring parties to exhibit restraint.
“I once again call upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to step back from the brink of further escalation. Our region has already suffered far too much from conflict. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path towards peace,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the council’s meeting for the second time in less than a week underscored “the urgency and gravity of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Yemen”.
Pakistan “fully supports Saudi Arabia’s legitimate right”, consistent with the UN Charter and international law, “to take necessary measures to defend its territory, protect its citizens and safeguard its national assets against threats”.
Mr Ahmad also expressed concern over the expansion of Houthi attacks in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying “this vital maritime corridor represents a serious escalation”.
He warned that continued violations of international law against commercial shipping posed a growing threat to freedom of navigation and international maritime commerce.
“Any attempt to threaten, obstruct or weaponize the vital waterways will have consequences for international trade and commercial shipping, global supply chains and energy security,” he said.
China also called for restraint and a return to negotiations, while stressing that protection of shipping in the Red Sea was a shared international responsibility.
Chinese representative Sun Lei said protecting freedom of navigation required ending armed conflict and achieving lasting peace. He urged all parties to exercise restraint and return to negotiations, while calling for a greater role for Gulf countries in mediation and a new security architecture for the Middle East.
The United States also demanded that the Houthis halt their advances, withdraw from seized territory and cease their attacks.
US representative Jennifer Locetta also called on Iran to end its support for the group, accusing Tehran of arming, funding and directing the Houthis.
“Freedom of navigation underpins the global economy, and the United States is working with our partners to protect it,” she said.
She called for effective implementation of Security Council resolutions 2140 and 2216 and said the Council could not ignore Iran’s role in supporting the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia told the Council that the Houthi escalation threatened Yemen, regional security, international trade and global supply chains.
Saudi representative Abdulaziz M. Alwasil cited attacks on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran that injured civilians, as well as renewed attacks on Sept 14 and continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
He said the Houthis and militias supporting them were pursuing a policy of “choking the straits”, holding the international community and global economy hostage.
“Protecting vital waterways is a collective responsibility requiring a firm Council response,” Alwasil said, calling for implementation of Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2722.
Saudi Arabia remained committed to de-escalation and peace, he said, while reserving its right to defend its territory and citizens.
Yemen said the Houthi advance towards Bab al-Mandab had transformed the conflict into an increasingly serious regional and international security issue.
Yemeni representative Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi said his government was responding to Houthi advances along the western coast, with its forces reorganising to regain the initiative and prevent the Houthis from using the coast to threaten international shipping.
The UN said the renewed fighting had intensified along Yemen’s western coast as Houthi forces advanced towards Bab al-Mandab. The council heard that the Houthis had captured Mokha, near the strategic strait, while government forces launched a counteroffensive. More than 11,400 households had been newly displaced since Sept 3, according to the UN.
US advisory
The United States advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing the risk of drone and missile attacks, armed conflict, terrorism and possible exit bans.
In a travel advisory issued in Washington, the US State Department placed Saudi Arabia at Level 3: Reconsider Travel, the third-highest warning in its four-level system.
The advisory also urged Americans to “Do Not Travel” to areas along the Yemen border because of “the threat of terrorism.”
With input from AFP and Reuters
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026
