Is there a “destabilizing rift” between the Saudi king and crown prince? Rumors are circulating of a rift between King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his volatile, reformist son Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), which reportedly started after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and then escalated dramatically during the king’s visit to Egypt in February, write Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Nick Hopkins in the Guardian.

Signs of trouble contradict claims that rumors are “baseless”: While the king and crown prince have reportedly disagreed before on matters of foreign policy, sources say that indications of a potential power struggle were in particular evidence during King Salman’s Egypt visit. Two “major personnel changes,” though planned, were signed off by MbS while the king was away and announced without his knowledge. So concerned was the king’s entourage about a potential threat to his authority, that a team of 30 loyalists was flown to Egypt to replace his existing security detail. Although a spokesman for the Saudi embassy in Washington has dismissed the rumors as “baseless” insinuations, at least one experienced analyst has said that they speak to “subtle but important signs of something amiss in the royal palace.”

MbS eager to forge his own path: Even those who believe MBS is seriously undermining his father’s rule agree on his push ahead with reform and to assert his authority where necessary. His recent visit to India, Pakistan, and China shows a “domestic political agenda in play,” Jonathan Fulton writes in the Washington Post. The traditional US role in the region has allowed a status quo to remain in place that prioritizes Saudi interests. Now, with US influence waning and the global economy becoming ever more focused on China and India, MbS’ trip suggests that, just as he is pushing for domestic economic diversification, so is he pushing for diversification in Saudi Arabia’s “diplomatic relationships.