Houthi escalation reaches Makkah — and changes Pakistan’s equation
Houthi escalation is no longer a list of isolated incidents — it has become a pattern, and Sunday’s destruction of two drones headed for the Makkah region is its latest link. The question is no longer whether the attacks are happening, but what they are aimed at: oil installations, airports, the capital — and now, again and again, the Haramain Sharifain.
A fortnight of attacks
On October 30, the coalition said it had intercepted a drone over the Madinah region; Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree denied the group had carried out any operation against Saudi territory. On November 5, Pakistan’s Ulema Council condemned the attacks, and a Day of Condemnation was observed across Pakistan the next day. On November 10, a ballistic missile and a cruise missile bound for Riyadh were destroyed, and on November 11 seven weapons — three cruise missiles, two drones and two missiles — were brought down in different directions. On Saturday two drones were destroyed, and on Sunday two missiles and five drones, including the two over the Makkah region. The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca; the coalition’s announcements, in their steady sequence, stand as they are.
Why it matters for Pakistan
For Pakistan, the crisis matters on two levels. The first is faith: according to Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, seven attempts have targeted Makkah and four Madinah so far, and the protection of Haramain Sharifain is a red line for the entire Ummah. The second is security: the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement links Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, and Türkiye’s parliament has already approved it. On Friday at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Ambassador Syed Haider Shah condemned the attacks on Gulf countries and called for an immediate end to military provocations.
What to watch next
Three things now bear watching. First, the tempo: whether the campaign continues or breaks. Second, diplomacy: the United States and Iran have already traded sharp words at the Security Council over maritime security, and Pakistan has called for renewed regional diplomacy. Third, the Strait of Hormuz: Iran says three oil tankers hit mines there, a claim that has not been independently confirmed — but it shows the tension is no longer confined to attacks from the air.
