In his first direct statements regarding a thwarted missile strike on the Riyadh airport over the weekend, bin Salman laid the blame for the attempt at the feet of Iran's government, saying it was "supplying its Houthi militias (in Yemen) with missiles."

In comments reported by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the crown prince told British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson that Iran's actions "may be considered an act of war against the kingdom."

Saudi Arabia has waged a years-long military campaign in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government that the Houthi rebels drove out of the capital, Sanaa.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have claimed responsibility for firing Saturday's projectile at the King Khalid International Airport. The Saudi military was able to intercept the missile before it struck the Riyadh airport.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the allegations that his country supplied the Houthis with missiles.

Zarif "warned of Saudi Arabia's provocative measures in the region" and "rejected Riyadh's dangerous allegations as a violation of the international laws and the UN Charter," the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported.