TEHRAN: Iran has publicly questioned Saudi Arabia’s claim that a drone intercepted near Mecca originated from Yemen’s Houthis, calling for stronger evidence before assigning responsibility for the incident.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the interception of a drone alone did not establish that Yemen’s Houthi movement had launched it, particularly after the group denied targeting the holy city.
His remarks challenge Riyadh’s attribution of the incident while stopping short of identifying another party as responsible.
Tehran Says Intercepted Drone Does Not Establish Responsibility
Baqaei argued that authorities should not determine the origin or operator of the drone solely on the basis of its interception near Mecca.
Moreover, he pointed to the Houthis’ denial as a reason for caution in reaching conclusions about the incident.
Saudi Arabia has attributed the drone threat near Mecca to the Houthis, while the Yemeni group has rejected claims that it targeted Islam’s holiest city.
The competing accounts have added another point of contention to already heightened regional tensions.
Iran Warns Against Possible ‘False Flag’ Operations
Baqaei also raised the possibility of what he described as “false flag” operations intended to deepen divisions among Muslim countries.
However, he did not provide evidence identifying another actor as responsible for the drone incident. His comments therefore represented a warning about a possible scenario rather than an established account of what occurred.
The Iranian spokesman’s remarks come amid escalating confrontation involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis and wider concerns over instability around Yemen and the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the dispute over the drone’s origin underscores the difficulty of independently establishing responsibility during rapidly developing regional hostilities.
Further technical evidence concerning the drone, its launch location and flight path would be required to independently establish its origin and operator.
🇮🇷🇸🇦🇾🇪 Iran is openly questioning Saudi Arabia’s claim that the drone near Mecca came from the Houthis.
FM spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says an intercepted drone alone is not enough to pin the attack on Yemen, especially after the Houthis denied targeting the holy city.
Then he… pic.twitter.com/Givss5mfGQ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 17, 2026
