A former Saudi intelligence official has alleged that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman forged King Salman’s signature on the royal decree that launched Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen’s civil war, according to a BBC interview published Monday.
Saad al-Jabri, who lives in exile in Canada, told the BBC that a “credible, reliable” official linked to the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed to him that the crown prince, then defense minister, signed the decree in place of his father.
“We were surprised that there was a royal decree to allow the ground interventions,” al-Jabri said. “He forged the signature of his dad for that royal decree. The king’s mental capacity was deteriorating.”
Al-Jabri provided no evidence to support his claim. Saudi Arabia has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the allegations. The kingdom has previously described al-Jabri as “a discredited former government official.”
The allegation comes as Prince Mohammed, 38, serves as Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, often meeting with world leaders in place of his 88-year-old father, King Salman.
The Yemen conflict, which began in 2015, has resulted in more than 150,000 deaths and created what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Recent Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have led to increased U.S. military involvement in the region.
Al-Jabri, who once worked for former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, fled Saudi Arabia in 2017. He has sued Prince Mohammed in U.S. federal court, alleging the crown prince sought to have him assassinated.
“He planned for my assassination,” al-Jabri told the BBC. “He will not rest until he sees me dead. I have no doubt about that.”
Al-Jabri also reiterated an earlier claim that Prince Mohammed considered assassinating former King Abdullah with a poison ring from Russia, an allegation he first made in a 2021 interview with CBS.
The former intelligence official’s two children are currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, in what he describes as an attempt to lure him back to the kingdom.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power has been marked by a wider crackdown on perceived dissent and potential challenges to his rule. In 2017, King Salman replaced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef with his son, Prince Mohammed. The former crown prince is believed to have been under house arrest since then.
As the Yemen war approaches its ninth year, international pressure has grown for a resolution to the conflict. The recent escalation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea has further complicated regional tensions and international shipping.
The U.S.-based lawyer for al-Jabri did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the BBC interview.
