Mohammed bin Salman has been moved between two fortified Riyadh palaces after Houthi forces struck King Khalid International Airport with a missile on Saturday, killing 13 and wounding 300—an escalation that has forced the airport’s closure.
The airport, the kingdom’s main international gateway, fell victim to a fourth strike in five days, prompting the emergency response of the Air Force and the Ministry of Interior.
Sources familiar with the prince’s schedule, cited by the Wall Street Journal, said a hand‑picked security detail now escorts him, and the palaces are equipped with underground bunkers.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the energy minister, warned that Saudi retaliation would be "equally serious," echoing earlier statements from the defense ministry.
US President Donald Trump has signaled willingness to join Saudi strikes, while members of the Mecca Pact have publicly backed Riyadh’s hardline stance.
With the 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July, the current escalation follows accusations of Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport, a claim the Houthis deny; Tehran has offered to mediate, but the Saudis appear set to broaden their offensive, with a detailed counter‑strike plan expected in the next 24 hours.