Not Drones or Missiles — the Epstein Files Are Now the Houthis' 'Weapon' in an Unusual Propaganda War on Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have adopted an unusual new tactic in their fight against Saudi Arabia. It is not a new missile or drone; the group is trying to damage Saudi Arabia's image by using the name of Jeffrey Epstein, the American sex offender and financier. The account comes from a report in The New York Times.

Epstein documents released in phases by the US Department of Justice have now become material for Houthi propaganda. For the past few weeks the group has been campaigning around some Epstein-related documents.

Among those documents are some said to mention that people connected to the Saudi royal court sent Epstein a tapestry bearing the design and covering of the Kaaba's kiswa, the embroidered cloth that covers the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the holiest place for Muslims, which is why the Houthis are giving this allegation such prominence in their campaign.

Many kinds of media are being used in this Houthi campaign. The group is promoting its message through statements, videos, songs, speeches and posts by social media influencers. The aim of the campaign is to attack its adversary, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, notably, supports Yemen's internationally recognised government, with which the Houthis are fighting a civil war. Alongside repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia, the group now wants to put its rival under pressure on the propaganda front as well.

After the war intensified again this summer, the Houthi campaign has drawn wider attention. In these promotions the group presents itself as a defender of Islam against foreign influence.

Last month Saudi Arabia alleged that the Houthis had targeted Mecca with drones and missiles. The Houthis, however, directly denied the allegation. The Kaaba, Islam's spiritual centre, is located in Mecca, the holiest city in the world for Muslims.

Citing statements published in the Houthis' official media, The New York Times reports that the group's president, Mahdi al-Mashat, said, 'Those who gave the Kaaba's covering to Epstein are the ones targeting Mecca.' The campaign has gained momentum around that statement.

After the US Department of Justice released Epstein-related documents earlier this year, Saudi officials gave no reaction to the report about the tapestry being sent or to these Houthi allegations.

Al-Mashat's remarks have been spread in various forms across Houthi media outlets. Yemeni comedian Mustafa al-Momari has made a video on the subject; he has more than 2.7 million followers on the social platform X. The report also says a traditional Yemeni singer has written a song about the allegation.

Previously, after his release from prison in 2023, Mustafa al-Momari changed his position on the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and criticised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019; officials said he had taken his own life. Epstein's name comes up often in speeches by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. In an address last February he said the Epstein documents needed to be examined seriously.

The report also suggests the Houthi tactic is drawing a response in some quarters. In at least one instance, Jake Shields, a popular right-wing podcaster who posts regularly about Epstein-related documents, praised the Houthis' resolve.

Altogether, the fight has now spilled beyond the battlefield into the arena of propaganda. With no reaction from the Saudi side and no sign of the Houthi campaign stopping, whether this unusual propaganda war widens further in the coming days remains to be seen.