World
Epstein files become new weapon in Houthis’ campaign against Saudi Arabia: Report
By: Hindustan Times World
Published: 24 October 2026
Photo / Illustration: Haldwani Times News Desk
<p>Houthis, the Iran-backed Yemen rebels have expanded their campaign against Saudi Arabia by exploiting a controversial story involving Jeffrey Epstein, the late American sex offender.</p>
<p>This undated photograph in an unidentified location released by the US Justice Department on December 19, 2025, shows Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy US financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. (AFP)The group has seized on reports that individuals associated with the Saudi royal court sent tapestries that had once covered Islam's holiest site to Epstein's private Island.</p>
<p>The revelations, drawn from the files released by the US department of justice, have become a tool for the Houthis to attack the Saudi leadership and question its religious credibility, the New York Times reported.</p>
<p>Through social media posts, videos, songs, speeches and content circulated by online influences, the Houthis closely monitor developments involving their regional adversaries and reshape new stories to serve their own political objectives, the NYT report added.</p>
<p>Their messaging frequently presents them as defenders of Islam confronting corruption and outside interference, while portraying Saudi Arabia as an opponent of those values, the report said.</p>
<p>The kingdom supports Yemen’s International recognised government, which remains locked in conflict with the Houthis.</p>
<p>These communication efforts have taken on greater significance as Yemen's conflict intensified again this summer amid the US Israel war with Iran. Against this backdrop, the Houthis have increased their propaganda activity alongside their military campaign, which has included missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, the report added.</p>
<p>Mecca was placed on alert last month as Saudi authorities accused Houthis of strikes at the Muslim holy city. The rebel group, however, denied the accusation.</p>
<p>The Houthis mobilised their extensive media network to portray the reported transfer of sacred Islamic textiles to Jeffrey Epstein as a betrayal of religious values by Saudi Arabia. The allegations concerned tapestries set to have once adorned the Kaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca that holds the central place in Islamic worship.</p>
<p>“Those who gave Epstein the Kaba’s cover are the ones targeting Mecca,” Mahdi al-Mashat, the Houthi president told the group’s official news media, reported NYT.</p>
<p>Following the release of new justice department files, Saudi Arabia has yet to issue a public response to Houthi accusations about Epstein or to the reports concerning the tapestries.</p>
<p>Nidhi Giri is a Senior Content Producer at the Hindustan Times. A Delhi-based journalist with over four years of experience in the news media industry, she specialises in national affairs, geopolitics, and policy shifts. Her expertise spans breaking news coverage, live blogging, and long-form explainers. Prior to joining HT, Nidhi was part of the newsrooms at Asian News International (ANI) and The Daily Jagran where she led newsroom shifts, contributed to planned content, and edited stories. She has led real-time coverage of major national and international events. Highlights of her career include an exclusive interview with Supreme Court Judge Justice N Kotiswar Singh, coverage of Lok Sabha Polls 2024, Union Budget, Operation Sindoor, Parliament Sessions, multiple state assembly elections, G20 New Delhi Summit 2023, India AI Summit, US Presidential Elections, and US-Iran conflict. Nidhi is an alumna of Birla Vidya Niketan, Delhi, and holds a BA in English Honours from Bharati College, University of Delhi. She also holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute Of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and an MA in Mass Communication. Outside the newsroom, Nidhi enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new restaurants, and maintaining an active lifestyle through her gym sessions.Read More</p>
