Saudi Grand Mufti urges border troops to risk death fighting Houthis
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti issued a rare and strongly worded religious message to troops stationed on the kingdom's borders, calling on them to be prepared to sacrifice their lives in fighting the Iran-backed Houthis. This escalation reflects weeks of intensifying violence, with the Houthi group launching salvos of missiles and drones at Saudi targets whilst the kingdom responds with airstrikes. Saudi Arabia has simultaneously rallied its allies—including Turkey and Pakistan—through an urgent high-level meeting under their joint defence pact, amid widespread concerns that the conflict could destabilise the global economy.
The latest fighting represents a significant escalation in Yemen's 12-year civil war, which had remained relatively frozen following a 2022 ceasefire. The Houthis recently seized control of the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb waterway, a critical blow to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. On Thursday alone, the Houthis claimed to have fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets, whilst Saudi authorities stated they intercepted six ballistic missiles and issued emergency alerts for Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu, the kingdom's main Red Sea oil port. Saudi authorities have increasingly employed religious narratives to discredit the Houthis, a different Islamic sect, invoking accusations that they have targeted mosques and even Mecca itself.
- Saudi Grand Mufti urges soldiers to sacrifice lives fighting Iran-backed Houthis in rare speech
- Escalating conflict threatens global economy; Saudi Arabia rallies Turkey and Pakistan allies
- Houthis seized strategic waterway; conflict part of 12-year Yemen civil war recently reignited
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Saudi Arabia faces direct military attacks from the Houthis—missiles and drones targeting major cities and the kingdom's vital oil infrastructure—making a military response a legitimate exercise of self-defence. The seizure of Bab el-Mandeb, a strategically critical waterway, threatens not only Saudi interests but global commerce and stability. Saudi authorities have both the responsibility and the right to protect their citizens and infrastructure from an armed group that has repeatedly demonstrated hostile intent.
The case against
The escalation threatens regional stability and the global economy at a time when a 2022 ceasefire demonstrated that de-escalation is possible, yet continuing cycles of military response extend a 12-year conflict that has already caused immense suffering. Military solutions have not resolved the underlying geopolitical tensions, particularly the Saudi-Iran rivalry driving the conflict, and aggressive rhetoric mobilised through religious narratives risks deepening sectarian divisions rather than addressing root causes. Diplomatic channels and international mediation offer more sustainable paths to security than further military escalation.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Saudi Grand Mufti tells troops to be ready to sacrifice their lives fighting Houthis in rare speech as Kingdom rallies its allies amid fears war will cripple world’s economy”.