Report: US puzzled about recent developments in Saudi

US officials are anxiously watching a potential succession rivalry between the Saudi king’s young son, Mohammed Bin Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef who has served as head of intelligence and minister of the interior and who has for years been the United States’ key Saudi ally in counterterrorism efforts against Al-Qaeda, the Washington Post said on Tuesday.

The paper published a report by opinion writer David Ignatius in which he said that US officials have noted in recent weeks the aggressive role played by Mohammed Bin Salman and the sense of political jockeying within the kingdom.

According to Ignatius, the United States should stay out of succession politics in any foreign country, especially in the murky monarchy of Saudi Arabia while some senior officials believe that anything that’s seen as putting an American thumb on the scale could backfire.

However, others argue that the risk-reward ratio is high with Mohammed Bin Salman, where huge potential benefits could come from having a young, dynamic Saudi king who wants to move in the modernising direction of the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi officials apparently haven’t asked the United States for its views about the succession, but some feel that such a query could come soon, perhaps forcing Washington to decide whether it wants to offer any guidance or remain silent, the writer said.