Saudi King appoints his son as successor

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Wednesday deposed his nephew and named his 31-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman, as his successor. The new crown prince was second in line to the throne and is set to become the country’s youngest king. Mohammed bin Salman previously served as the country’s defense minister and spearheaded the Saudi-led war in Yemen. He has named his son as his replacement. Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, 57, who was first in line to the throne, led the oil-rich kingdom’s crackdown on Islamic militants. He also worked closely with Western security and intelligence agencies. Nayef received a medal form the CIA in February in recognition of his counterterrorism efforts. Saudi state television said 31 out of 34 royals support the change.

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