Saudi Grand Mufti urges border soldiers to sacrifice lives against Houthi forces
Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority called on troops defending the kingdom’s borders to be prepared to give their lives in the fight against Iran-backed Houthi militants.
Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, issued a rare and forceful message to troops stationed along the kingdom’s frontiers, urging them to be ready to lay down their lives to expel the Iran-backed Houthi movement. Drawing on Quranic passages and prophetic traditions, the statement framed the conflict as a sacred duty to protect the nation’s territory and holy sites. It arrives amid escalating hostilities, with the Houthis launching missile and drone salvos and Saudi forces responding with airstrikes.
The mufti highlighted the need to uphold the authority of the Yemeni government, which lost the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway to the Houthis two weeks ago. He also called for divine support to defeat the Houthi group and its backers, linking the fight to broader religious and nationalistic narratives that have intensified in recent weeks.
Why it matters
The mufti’s call signals a heightened religious framing of the Saudi-Houthi conflict, potentially deepening Saudi resolve and affecting regional stability.
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