MbS takes over Mohamed bin Nayef’s cabinet positions: Newly appointed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is taking over from his cousin, former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as the kingdom’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, according to an official Saudi Press Agency statement. MbS, whose appointment came by royal decree, is also continuing as defense minister. Mohammed bin Nayef has pledged his allegiance to MbS, and Saudi state media published images showing MbS kissing his predecessor’s hand, CNN reports.

The new crown prince’s meteoric rise to power over the past several months made the announcement of his new position expected, but “the timing was a surprise, and puts the kingdom’s future in relatively untested hands,” considering KSA’s tensions with Qatar and Iran, and its ongoing war in Yemen, Reuters says. The move also has internal repercussions for the kingdom, including the marginalization of “a large cadre of older princes, many with foreign educations and decades of government experience the younger prince lacks,” the NYT’s Ben Hubbard notes.

US President Donald Trump called MbS yesterday to discuss “the priority of cutting off all support for terrorists and extremists” and efforts to resolve Arab countries’ spat with Qatar, according to a White House statement. Trump and bin Salman also talked economic cooperation during the call. The two leaders “have already established a working rapport,” having met twice in the past several months, the Associated Press notes, while Bloomberg suggests the young prince has “built the right ties in Trump’s White House.” President Abdel Fattah El Sisi also congratulated the new crown prince during a phone call yesterday, Al Masry Al Youm reports.