Evidence

Multiple mainstream outlets — CNN, NBC News, NPR, CNBC, Time, The Japan Times, Euronews and The Times of Israel — reported in mid-September 2026 that Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of firing a drone toward Mecca, and that the Houthis quickly and explicitly denied the accusation. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group's operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases, and outlets quote Houthi statements dismissing the Saudi claim as 'an worn-out lie' (CNBC) and referring to 'fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal al-Saud regime' (Euronews). While the exact word 'propaganda' was not found verbatim in the quotes retrieved, the substance of the claim — that the Houthis denied the Mecca targeting and characterized the Saudi accusation as fabricated/false — is consistently corroborated across independent news organizations. No dedicated fact-check from Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo specifically addressing this Mecca incident was found in this search.