Salman’s visit to Moscow and the Palace coup in Saudi Arabia

As things are getting hotter by the hour in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Russian writer Eduard Limonov in his article for Regnum links King Salman’s visit to Moscow, purchase of S-400 air defense system from Russia and the preplanned coup that we’re witnessing in Riyadh since last Saturday.

Limonov believes that now, a month into his historic visit to Russia, the reason for Saudi monarch’s visit to Moscow has become clear.

The King, writes Limonov, was interested in discussing the then upcoming system “restructuring” in Saudi Arabia. The purchase of S-400, for meager – in Saudi terms – $3 billion, was only a gift, a kind of “apology for the inconvenience” that the planned events would cause. An act made to please Russian President Putin. King Salman, says Limonov, came not for S-400, but tried to negotiate, to make sure that Russian planes from the Syrian Kheimim airbase would not intervene in the dynastic strife that followed almost immediately after his visit to Moscow.

“In all likelihood, the King made arrangement with us” – opines Limonov. “Officially, the princes, who were arrested two days ago are accused of corruption, unofficially, it’s a Palace coup, when one part of the elite, headed by king opposed the part of the elite, which would interfere with the implementation of their plans. Apparently, quite by accident, king Salman and his son Mohammed opposed the princes sympathetic to the United States of America.”

He further adds, that “The ballistic missile, launched by Houthis on 4 November from Yemen towards the Saudi capital of Riyadh, is a protest gesture, showing that Iran’s actually against a Palace coup in Saudi Arabia.”

His point of view is original, but removed princes were no friends of Iran either, especially as they were equally friendly with Iran’s archenemy across the Atlantic.

Whatever the case, the current internal crisis in which Saudi kingdom has found itself, in particular since Saturday, is already having ripple effects across the region. The media is already abuzz with news that king Salman is ready to abdicate within days, if not hours. The question on everyone’s mind is – what if Limonov and others are right about new king’s war ambitions? What devastating effects would that war have on Lebanon and Syria, which are apparently targeted in the war about to begin?