Doubts raised about his policies

no dialogue with the regional Shia power. “Instead we will work so that the battle is for them in Iran, not in Saudi Arabia,” Mohammed bin Salman told a reporter from the Saudi network MBC. The comments sparked an apparent response from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who dubbed the Saudi leadership “idiots” whose policies would lead to “certain downfall”.

There have been serious doubts about the effectiveness of aggressive policies under Mohammed bin Salman. The military campaign in Yemen has cost Saudi Arabia billions and produced high levels of civilian casualties, but any victory over the Houthis still seems distant. Meanwhile, the attempt to isolate Qatar appears to have produced a split within the US foreign policy world. While President Donald Trump has spoken approvingly of the policy and accused Qatar of links to terrorism, the State Department issued an unusual statement on Wednesday that said it was “mystified” by the Saudi-led actions.

While the ambitious plans to limit government spending and wean the Saudi economy off oil have yet to produce similar conflict, they run the risk not only of fiscal failure but of pitting Mohammed bin Salman and other royals against the country’s conservative religious establishment.

Saudi television showed Mohammed bin Nayef publicly pledging his loyalty to Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, suggesting for the time being at least the transition should be smooth. But it may not just be Iran that has doubts about the new crown prince — many in Washington knew and respected Mohammed bin Nayef as he had helped lead Saudi Arabia’s campaign against al-Qaeda for years.

And there may be some in Saudi Arabia who have their own doubts, too. Iranian news outlets pointed to one anonymous Twitter account, which claims to share secrets from the Saudi elite and is claiming that King Salman will step down within days. That account has frequently criticised Mohammed bin Salman, suggesting his impulsiveness could be dangerous.