Iran warns against politicising drone incident near Makkah

Tehran: Iran has urged caution over the reported drone incident near Makkah, saying a claim that a drone was intercepted while heading towards the holy city cannot by itself provide grounds for accusing a specific party.

In a post on X on Thursday, September 17, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said any aggression against Islamic holy sites, particularly Makkah, Madinah and Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as threats against pilgrims and neighbouring communities, should be condemned.

“At the same time, a mere claim of intercepting a drone en route to Makkah cannot constitute grounds for accusing a specific party,” Baghaei said.

He noted that Yemen’s Government of Change and Construction had explicitly denied responsibility for the reported incident.

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…

Baghaei stressed the need to prevent the issue of Islamic holy sites from being politicised or used to fuel regional tensions.

He also referred to what Iran described as “false flag” operations in the region, alleging that such incidents had been used in recent months to divert public attention and create divisions among Islamic countries.

He called for caution and vigilance in assessing claims surrounding the reported drone interception.

Baghaei’s comments came after the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Wednesday, September 16, that its air defences had “intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthi militia” that attempted to enter the airspace of Makkah.

The coalition said the drone was intercepted south of the holy city.

Saudi Arabia accused Yemen’s Ansar Allah group, commonly known as the Houthis, of attempting to target “the land of the message and the Qibla of Muslims”.

The Houthis have denied the accusation and rejected claims that they attempted to target Makkah.

Several countries issued statements on Wednesday condemning the reported drone incident near Makkah.

The incident has drawn regional attention because of Makkah’s significance as Islam’s holiest city and comes amid continued tensions involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement.

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