Targeting Makkah Al-Mukarramah Is an Act of Terrorism That Crosses Every Red Line and a Flagrant Violation of the Sanctity of Islam’s Holy Sites

Statement of Condemnation and Denunciation

Irada Organization against Torture and Enforced Disappearance condemns in the strongest possible terms and denounces the terrorist Houthi militia’s targeting of Makkah Al-Mukarramah with a Houthi drone on 4 Rabi’ al-Thani 1448 AH / 15 September 2026. This constitutes an extremely grave attack on the sanctity of the Holy City and endangers the safety and security of civilians and the Guests of Allah.

Irada Organization against Torture and Enforced Disappearance affirms that Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the Holy Kaaba are neither military targets nor arenas for political and military conflicts or Houthi-Iranian military adventurism. Rather, Makkah is the Qibla of Muslims and a place toward which their hearts are drawn. It is home to the Grand Mosque, which millions of Muslims from around the world visit to perform Umrah, pray, and worship.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that it had intercepted and destroyed the drone before it entered the restricted airspace over Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

Any act that threatens the security of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Madinah Al-Munawwarah, or endangers the sanctity of the Holy Sites, constitutes an extremely grave transgression of religious, humanitarian, and legal red lines and a provocation to the sentiments of two billion Muslims worldwide. Moreover, it poses a direct threat to the safety and security of visitors, Umrah pilgrims, residents, and the civilian population, as well as constituting an attack against another country.The targeting of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, or any attempt to reach its sacred airspace, cannot be treated as merely another passing military development. This concerns the holiest of Muslim sanctities and a place that must remain protected from military operations, violence, and attacks.

Irada Organization against Torture and Enforced Disappearance stresses that the sanctity of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Madinah Al-Munawwarah is a red line, and that safeguarding their security and the safety of the Guests of Allah is a responsibility that transcends political and military calculations and concerns the sentiments, rights, and dignity of two billion Muslims around the world.

Irada Organization also calls upon the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to condemn any targeting of the Holy Sites or any act that places civilians and the Guests of Allah at risk, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, and to hold those responsible accountable in accordance with international law.

Irada Organization further affirms that the Islamic world cannot regard any threat to Makkah Al-Mukarramah as merely a local matter. Any violation of the sanctity of the Qibla of Muslims is an affront to religious holy sites of universal significance and requires a clear and firm international response to prevent the recurrence of such acts.

Makkah Al-Mukarramah will remain a red line, and the security of the Grand Mosque and the safety of the Guests of Allah must remain above all conflicts and political calculations.

Issued by:

Irada Organization against Torture and Enforced Disappearance 17 September 2026 – Geneva, Switzerland