Saudis Release Video of Crown Prince After Iran Spreads Rumor He Was Shot

Saudi Arabia pushes back launch of 'entertainment city'
AFP
Adelle Nazarian

Saudi Arabia reportedly released videos of the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) Wednesday and Thursday to combat rumors, broadcast through Iranian state media, that he was injured or dead as a result of a shooting outside the royal palace on April 21.

CNN reported Wednesday that Saudi authorities had shared a video with them of MBS chairing a meeting for the Council of Economic Affairs and Development in Jeddah. The outlet did not publish the video and noted that it could not independently verify it, but did publish screengrabs.

Prior to this, the royal kingdom had released a photograph of MBS chairing the same meeting. The video appears to be a newer release.

Authorities also published a video Thursday of MBS allegedly meeting with President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi of Yemen, also in Jeddah, according to Al Arabiya, a Saudi outlet.

Over the weekend, Iranian state-run media cited anti-Riyadh activist Mohammed al-Mas’ari, the secretary-general of the Islamic Revival Party, who suggested MBS was shot when heavy gunfire broke outside his family’s royal palace last month.

Official Saudi media reported that an unauthorized drone flew over the area, prompting gunfire and an attempt to shoot the drown down.

Breitbart News reported: “On the evening of April 21, a small drone reportedly triggered gunfire in the vicinity of the royal palace when it entered an off-limits zone. According to Russian state outlet RT, “Palace guards targeted a rogue drone which came too close to the king’s residence, some feared a terrorist attack or even an unfolding ‘coup.'”

“Credible” Saudi sources reportedly “confirmed” to the Daily Pakistan Global that MBS was safe and spending the Ramadan holiday in Egypt with his family on special invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

It is worth noting that MBS was on a world tour shortly before the April shooting incident. In recent months, an ongoing proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen has intensified, particularly since MBS has taken on a larger role in his nation and its defense decisions.

In its article citing the anti-Riyadh activist, Press TV opined that “the deadly Saudi campaign against Yemen has damaged bin Salman’s image both internationally and regionally.”

Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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