- Bourita condemns reported attack targeting Mecca, calls for stronger international mechanisms to safeguard strategic waterways
CASABLANCA: Morocco has reaffirmed its “support and absolute solidarity” with Saudi Arabia following recent attacks attributed to the Houthi group, including a reported attempted strike targeting the holy city of Mecca.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita conveyed Rabat’s position during a United Nations Security Council Arria-formula meeting held on Thursday and organized by Bahrain to discuss maritime security and freedom of navigation. The meeting brought together Security Council members, UN member states and experts to examine growing threats to strategic international waterways.
Bourita said Morocco strongly condemned the reported attack targeting Mecca and expressed support for measures taken by Saudi Arabia to protect its territory and ensure the safety of its population.
Morocco Backs Saudi Arabia
Saudi authorities said their air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone heading toward Mecca before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. The Houthis have disputed the Saudi account, according to international reporting.
Morocco’s latest declaration reflects its broader diplomatic support for Saudi Arabia and Gulf states amid escalating regional security tensions. Rabat has previously expressed solidarity with Gulf countries in response to attacks targeting their territory and infrastructure.
Morocco has also maintained its support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, including the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Growing Concern Over Bab Al-Mandab
Addressing the wider maritime-security implications, Bourita warned that attempts by the Houthis to gain control of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait demonstrate that strategic international waterways are increasingly vulnerable not only to states but also to non-state actors.
He said the evolving security environment requires the international community to reconsider existing approaches to the protection and management of major maritime passages.
The Bab Al-Mandab Strait is a major international shipping corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serving as a key route between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Recent fighting and Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have heightened concerns over maritime traffic and energy security. Bourita also drew attention to the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the existence of international legal frameworks has not been matched by sufficiently effective mechanisms to prevent or manage major crises. He stressed the need for the international community to strengthen its capacity to protect freedom of navigation and address emerging threats to strategic waterways.
The Moroccan foreign minister further highlighted the importance of finding a rapid solution to the crises affecting the Bab Al-Mandab and Hormuz straits and restoring safe maritime navigation. The meeting underscored growing international concern over the security of strategic maritime corridors, with disruptions carrying potential consequences for global trade, energy supplies and regional stability.
BY: The Times Union
