Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority has urged soldiers stationed along the kingdom’s borders to remain prepared for duty and stand united against the Iran-backed Houthi movement until the group is removed from power.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al Fawzan issued the strongly worded message in a statement carried by the Saudi state news agency late Thursday. The remarks were addressed to troops serving on the front lines and referred to Quranic verses and recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad concerning sacrifice and defence.
The statement came after weeks of escalating violence involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have launched missile and drone attacks against the kingdom. The latest fighting forms part of the wider conflict in Yemen, which has become linked to the broader regional war involving Iran.
“Protecting this great nation and punishing anyone who seeks to lay a hand on even an inch of its territory are among the greatest duties and most virtuous acts of devotion, for which lives and souls may be sacrificed in seeking God’s pleasure,” the statement said.
The grand mufti also described restoring the authority of Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognised government across the country as one of the most urgent responsibilities.
The conflict in Yemen began more than a decade ago and had largely remained frozen since a truce in 2022. Fighting has intensified again in recent weeks, with the Houthis also reportedly taking control of the Bab Al Mandeb waterway, a key shipping corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The statement called on soldiers to obey the Saudi leadership and military commanders and to carry out orders precisely.
“It is incumbent upon you, brothers serving on the front lines, to remain constantly prepared to perform your duty, to obey the rulers and your field commanders, and to carry out orders with the utmost precision,” it said.
The message also asked for divine support and protection for Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while calling for the complete defeat of the Houthis and those supporting them.
Saudi state television has recently broadcast footage of what it described as a Houthi attack on a mosque in the kingdom’s south. Saudi authorities have also accused the group of targeting Makkah, Islam’s holiest city. The Houthis have not been independently confirmed as responsible for all the incidents cited by Saudi officials.
The religious authority’s intervention highlights the heightened security and political pressure surrounding the conflict as Saudi forces and the Houthis remain involved in a wider regional confrontation. The statement urged troops to view their role as the defence of Saudi territory and the protection of Muslim holy sites.
