也门伊朗支持的胡塞武装通过炒作涉及美国已故性犯罪者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的争议事件，扩大了针对沙特阿拉伯的宣传攻势。
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.
据《纽约时报》报道，该组织利用了相关报道，即与沙特王室有关联的个人曾将一块曾覆盖伊斯兰教最神圣场所的挂毯送往爱泼斯坦的私人岛屿。这些从美国司法部公布的档案中披露的信息，已成为胡塞武装攻击沙特领导层并质疑其宗教信誉的工具。胡塞武装将沙特描绘为背叛伊斯兰价值观《纽约时报》的报道补充说，通过社交媒体帖子、视频、歌曲、演讲以及在线网红传播的内容，胡塞武装密切关注针对其地区对手的动态，并重塑新故事以服务于自身的政治目标。
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. 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. Houthis potray that Saudis betray Islamic valuesThrough 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.
报道称，他们的信息传递经常将自己表现为对抗腐败和外部干涉的伊斯兰教捍卫者，同时将沙特阿拉伯描绘成这些价值观的反对者。
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.
该王国支持也门国际承认的政府，该政府目前仍与胡塞武装处于交战状态。
The kingdom supports Yemen’s International recognised government, which remains locked in conflict with the Houthis.
爱泼斯坦的长期律师达伦·印迪克因涉嫌在新墨西哥州房产中掩盖性人口贩运而被起诉报道补充说，随着也门冲突今年夏天在美以与伊朗战争的背景下再度加剧，这些传播努力变得更加重要。在此背景下，胡塞武装除了发动包括针对沙特的导弹和无人机袭击在内的军事行动外，还加大了宣传活动。袭击麦加麦加于上月进入戒备状态，沙特当局指责胡塞武装对这座穆斯林圣城发动了袭击。然而，该反叛组织否认了这一指控。
Darren Indyke, Epstein’s longtime lawyer, sued over alleged sex trafficking cover-up at New Mexico propertyThese 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. Strikes on MeccaMecca 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.
袭击沙特法赫德国王国际机场导致2人死亡，其中包括一名印度国民胡塞武装动员了其庞大的媒体网络，将有关将神圣伊斯兰纺织品转移给杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的报道描述为沙特阿拉伯对宗教价值观的背叛。这些指控涉及据称曾装饰伊斯兰教朝拜中心麦加方形建筑克尔白的挂毯。
据《纽约时报》报道，胡塞武装政治局主席迈赫迪·马沙特对该组织的官方新闻媒体表示：“那些将克尔白帷幕送给爱泼斯坦的人，正是那些攻击麦加的人。”
Indian national among 2 killed in attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd airportThe 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.“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.
在美国司法部公布新档案后，沙特阿拉伯尚未对胡塞武装关于爱泼斯坦的指控或有关挂毯的报道做出公开回应。
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.