An unprecedented Saudi crackdown on corruption has purged several top economic and national security figures from Riyadh’s ruling class, a move widely seen as an effort by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to consolidate his power in the kingdom.
Meanwhile, the abrupt resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday, amid rumors of a possible assassination attempt against him, comes amid reports of repeated meetings with Saudi officials in the weeks ahead of his announcement.
Those meetings have raised questions on whether Riyadh is looking step up efforts to undermine Iran’s influence in Lebanon, home to Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, and the Middle East at large as Salman consolidates power at home.
On Sunday, the White House released details of a call between President Trump and the crown prince. The 32-year-old Mohammad is the designated successor to King Salman.
In a statement, administration officials said the two discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, specifically citing Iran’s ongoing backing of Houthi rebel factions battling a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. However, the White House made no reference to the impending arrests under Mohammad’s corruption sweep.
In May, Mr. Trump broke with White House tradition by making Saudi Arabia his first international visit after taking office. Trump White House’s decision was also seen as a rebuke of the Obama administration’s efforts to reinforce ties with Tehran, as part of the nuclear enrichment pact forged between the U.S. and Iran.
Since usurping his older cousin Mohammed bin Nayef to become next in line for the monarchy, Mohammad bin Salman has attempted to chart a new course for the Middle East power — from expanding women’s rights to an ambitious plan to limit the economy; s dependence on the country’s vast oil and energy assets.
But Saturday’s arrest of royal family members as well as current and former government ministers has been the most unusual move yet for the young crown prince. The scope and prominence of those arrested in the sweep forced Saudi officials to house most of the detainees at the Ritz-Carleton hotel in Riyadh, The Associated Press reported.
Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose vast fortune is significantly intertwined with Western investments, was one of the highest profile figures ensnared in the arrests. Economic Minister Adel Fakieh and former Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf were also among those detained by officials in Riyadh.
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, head of the country’s powerful National Guard and the last remaining son of the late King Abdullah, was not part of the corruption roundup but was ousted from the royal court this weekend.
Saudi Arabia’s attorney general, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb, told reporters Sunday the suspects’ ties to longstanding government practices were being investigated, as part of a new anti-corruption committee headed by Mohammad.
Riyadh is treating the suspects of the probe with “the same rights and treatment as any other Saudi citizen,” Mr. al-Mojeb said.
Most of the extremely wealthy suspects “retain full legal privileges relating to their personal and private property, including funds,” he said, but noted none will given preferential treatment during the ongoing investigations.
As Riyadh and the region continued to deal with the fallout of this weekend’s arrests, the surprise resignation of the Lebanese prime minster has also stoked tensions between Saudi and longtime regional rival Iran.
During a televised address, reportedly from Riyadh, Mr. al-Hariri said he was leaving office amid a pending assassination plot. While he declined to say who was behind the plot, his father and former Prime Minster Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a 2005 bombing widely believed to be carried out by Hezbollah.
During his tenure as prime minister, the younger Mr. al-Hariri had made multiple visits to Saudi Arabia to meet with senior officials and members of the royal family.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, said in a statement that Riyadh had “imposed” on Mr. al-Hariri to step down and that claims of an assassination plot were false. “It was not his intention, not his wish and not his decision to quit,” Mr. Nasrallah said.
Hezbollah and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps have armed, trained and at times fought alongside Shia militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. On Saturday, security officials in Riyadh said it had intercepted a medium-range missile fired on the capital by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“The missile was launched indiscriminately to target the civilian and populated areas,” said Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen. A Houthi statement on Yemeni television claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it has targeted King Khalid International Airport, 20 miles north of Riyadh.
• Carlo Muñoz can be reached at cmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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