Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has called on soldiers to prepare to sacrifice their lives in the fight against Yemen’s Houthis, issuing a religious appeal as escalating missile and drone attacks push the kingdom deeper into its confrontation with the Iran-backed group.
Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, the kingdom’s highest religious authority, urged Saudi troops stationed along the border and coalition forces fighting in Yemen to remain united and ready for battle. He also called for the restoration of the internationally recognised Yemeni government’s authority across the country.
The statement, issued late Thursday, comes after weeks of intensifying hostilities that have seen the Houthis launch repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory, prompting retaliatory Saudi airstrikes.
The escalation has raised questions over whether Riyadh could launch a broader military operation alongside its Yemeni allies to reverse recent Houthi territorial gains.
Al-Fawzan described defending Saudi Arabia and its Islamic holy sites as a religious obligation, saying soldiers should be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the kingdom.
He also urged troops to obey their commanders, maintain discipline and remain ready to carry out military orders, drawing on Quranic verses and Islamic teachings about sacrifice and defending Muslim territory.
The appeal follows a series of battlefield setbacks for Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, which lost control of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway to the Houthis earlier this month.
The loss has heightened concerns in Riyadh over the security of one of the world’s most important maritime routes, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen’s conflict since 2015, when it launched a military intervention aimed at restoring the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.
Fighting had largely subsided following a 2022 truce, but the conflict has intensified again amid the wider war involving Iran, with Houthi attacks on Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and shipping routes drawing fresh Saudi military responses.
Al-Fawzan’s intervention also comes as Saudi authorities increasingly invoke religious arguments in their confrontation with the Houthis.
Saudi officials have accused the group of attacking a mosque in the kingdom’s south and attempting to strike Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
The grand mufti condemned the Houthis and their supporters, calling for their defeat and urging coalition forces to stand together in defence of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
His statement comes amid mounting regional concern over the renewed conflict, with the latest fighting displacing more than 130,000 people in Yemen this month, according to the United Nations.
