Inside the Saudi Shakeup: Pain Pills, a Young Prince's Plot

Late June brought a shocker in the Middle East: a shake-up in Saudi Arabia's line of succession, with King Salman's nephew stripped of his next-in-line status and the title of crown prince handed to Salman's 31-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman

Now, a second jolt via a New York Times report that describes the ouster as a much more plotted (by the new crown prince) and contentious one than has been reported. 

One caveat: Its account comes by way of unnamed US officials and persons close to the royal family, and official comments from a senior Saudi official deny the claims and paint a copacetic picture. In the Times' telling, Mohammed bin Nayef was called to the palace on June 20 under the pretense of meeting with the king.

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