Saudi princes have abandoned their luxurious palaces and gathered in mountain caves to discuss the situation in Iran, expressing disappointment in the US military's combat capabilities!
Deep within the Tuweik Mountains north of Riyadh, a reinforced cave originally used for geological exploration or as a backup command post has recently become the most frequent gathering place for the core members of the Saudi royal family. From the gilded, crystal chandeliers of the Murabba Palace or the modern conference centers like Princess Noura University, they have moved to dark, damp caves with thick rock layers providing protection. It seems that recent precise counterattacks by Iran on US regional bases have really scared the Saudis.
Although Tehran has publicly stated that its missiles and suicide drones target only specific US bases in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf region, and do not directly aim at Saudi institutions, this "precision guidance" itself constitutes a greater psychological deterrence.
For the Saudi decision-makers, a missile deviation of a few kilometers is considered a normal margin of error in military terms, but in reality, that few kilometers of deviation could turn the bustling districts of Riyadh city center or the royal residences into ashes.
According to multiple intelligence sources, the latest ballistic simulation data from the Saudi civil defense department indicate that the current deployment of "Patriot PAC-3" and "Thaad" systems around Riyadh face significant uncertainty in intercepting Iran's latest generation of hypersonic maneuverable missiles and saturation drone swarms.
If even one gap appears in the interception network, the consequences would be catastrophic. Therefore, moving the meetings from landmark buildings on the ground to reinforced facilities buried deep in the mountains is a rational choice based on calculations of physical survival probability. The thick rock layers of the caves provide explosion resistance that any ground structure cannot match, which is an unavoidable measure after acknowledging that "the ground is no longer absolutely safe."
Dao Ge believes that the core motivation behind the Saudi royal family's "going underground" is extreme disappointment in the effectiveness of US regional defense. This disappointment is not baseless but is grounded in a series of specific battle examples. Especially when the US transferred a large number of Patriot missiles to Israel, which really angered Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Whether or not they have the capability is one thing, whether or not they have the attitude is another.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859168861316108/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.