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Some Saudi royals seeking to prevent crown prince from becoming king — Reuters

Sources also said that US is concerned not only about the Saudi crown prince's alleged role in the Khashoggi death, but also about his intention "to explore alternative weapons supplies from Russia"

© Nicolas Asfouri - Pool/Getty Images

MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. /TASS/. Some members of the Saudi royal family are trying to prevent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from becoming king amid international uproar over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing sources close to the royal court.

"Dozens of princes and cousins from powerful branches of the Al Saud family want to see a change in the line of succession but would not act while King Salman - the crown prince's 82-year-old father - is still alive," Reuters reported.

One of the sources claimed that they intend to support Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman's younger brother. Reuters said that "Prince Ahmed, King Salman's only surviving brother, would have the support of family members, the security apparatus and some Western powers."

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CIA concludes that Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi's assassination — Washington Post

The Saudi sources also said that US officials are concerned not only about the Saudi crown prince's alleged role in the Khashoggi death, but also about his intention "to explore alternative weapons supplies from Russia." In Mohammed bin Salman's letter to the defense ministry seen by Reuters, the crown prince advises to "focus on purchasing weapon systems and equipment in the most pressing fields," including Russian S-400 missile systems.

Jamal Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia's policies, left his home country and moved to the United States in 2017. He worked for The Washington Post, analyzing the situation in Saudi Arabia and the country's foreign policy. On October 20, Saudi authorities announced that the journalist died in a fight in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the murder had been carefully planned. The international community condemned Khashoggi’s murder and called for a transparent investigation.

The Washington Post earlier reported that US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has concluded that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of Khashoggi. "The CIA’s assessment, in which officials have said they have high confidence, is the most definitive to date linking Mohammed to the operation," the newspaper said citing people familiar with the matter. "In reaching its conclusions, the CIA examined multiple sources of intelligence, including a phone call that the prince's brother Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, had with Khashoggi," the Washington Post added noting that "Khalid told Khashoggi <...> that he should go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents and gave him assurances that it would be safe to do so."

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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EU border checkpoint closest to Russia’s St. Petersburg to cut its working hours

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Tehran’s two major airports cancel international flights — Mehr

Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport suspended their operations until 10:30 a.m. local time

West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

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Russian Aerospace Forces strike five militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

Yury Popov said that aircraft of the so-called international anti-terrorism coalition, led by the United States, continue to set dangerous precedents in skies above Syria

West, Kiev indulge in nuclear blackmail by demanding control of ZNPP — Russian MFA

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Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

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Russia, Iran maintain contacts on nuclear security - deputy foreign minister

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Hezbollah warns Israel it will fight back if attacks on Lebanon continue

The Lebanese Shiite organization "would not accept that the Israelis transgress the rules of engagement that are currently set in the south" of Lebanon

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

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EU plans to invest first profits from Russian assets in military aid to Kiev

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

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Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

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Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

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Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

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Israel assesses effectiveness, consequences of strike on Iran — media

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