The Saudi Arabian monarch will announce his son as successor, who plans to count on IDF backing to defeat Iran and its proxy Hezbollah and has already promised Israel billions of dollars if they agree, a new report indicates.
By World Israel News Staff
King Salman of Saudi Arabia plans to step down and announce his son as his successor next week, a source close to the country’s royal family told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.
The transfer of power to Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, is expected already next week, DailyMail.com said in the report published Thursday, adding that the king will continue only as a ceremonial figurehead.
“Unless something dramatic happens, King Salman will announce the appointment of MBS as King of Saudi Arabia next week,” said the unnamed source. There was no official comment from Riyadh.
Quoting the unnamed “high level source,” the report says the prince will shift his focus to its longtime rival Iran and enlist the help of the Israeli military to crush its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Tensions between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic have increased dramatically in recent weeks.
“MBS is convinced that he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah,” according to the source. “Contrary to the advice of the royal family elders, that’s MBS’s next target.”
The prince reportedly plans to count on the IDF to fulfill his mission. “MBS’s plan is to start the fire in Lebanon, but he’s hoping to count on Israeli military backing. He has already promised Israel billions of dollars in direct financial aid if they agree,” the source said.
“MBS cannot confront Hezbollah in Lebanon without Israel. Plan B is to fight Hezbollah in Syria,” the source added.
‘Wake-up Call’ to Iranian Threat
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saed Hariri resigned from his position two weeks ago, fearing for his life. In an address made in Saudi Arabia, he cited Iran’s hostility and meddling in his country.
Iran generated “disorder and destruction” in Lebanon and meddled in its internal affairs as well as in other Arab countries, Hariri charged.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the dramatic resignation two week ago, saying it was “a wake-up call to the international community to take action against Iranian aggression.”
Trump’s Ultimate Deal?
Furthermore, a secret correspondence between the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reveals the draft of a possible peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Lebanese website Al-Akhbar reported this week.
Speculation about a regional deal has been rife since US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May and was strengthened by Arab reports, since denied by Saudi officials, of a secret visit to Israel by the Crown Prince in September, where, according to reports, he met with Netanyahu.