(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR ANTHONY MARTINEZ

The Saudi royal family is mourning the death of one of the first king’s sons and heir to the Saudi throne. Euronews has more.

“Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, the half brother of the king of Saudi Arabia, has died after being treated for an undisclosed illness in the United States. It’s believed he was 86 years old. … Prince Sultan had been operated on in a New York hospital in July this year. He’d also been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004.”

Prince Sultan was appointed crown prince in 2005, after the current king, King Abdullah, took the throne. His main role in the Saudi government, according to Al Jazeera, was in his position as Minsiter of Defence and Aviation, a post he held since 1962.

“Under his guidance, the Saudi military acquired some of the latest and most advanced weapons, arms and artillery from Western powers. Its close relationship with the United States brought in aircrafts, missiles and tanks never seen before in the Kingdom.”

The death of the next in line for the Saudi throne makes succession a tricky issue. King Abdullah is even older than Sultan, and health concerns mean he may not be able to rule much longer.

Third in line behind Sultan is Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, but a Fox News Middle East analyst says it’s not clear if he’ll be the next crown prince.

Reena Ninan: “He’s a controversial figure. He believed that Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks. He’s against reforms -- especially for women, which the late Prince Sultan supported. Usually it’s the king who declares who the next successor will be, but many of the princes of the royal kingdom are so against Nayef’s appointment, that they might actually have an allegiance council, which is made up of male relatives of the king, who will determine who the next king might be.”

Even after the next king is chosen, the succession issue won’t get much simpler. A CNN correspondent asks -- what will happen when the throne goes to a new generation?

Mohammed Jamjoom: “When will it become the next generation of leaders in Saudi Arabia that will ascend the heirarchy -- those people that are a little bit younger. Because currently the people that have been appointed king of Suadi Arabia have all been sons of the original king, King Abdul-Aziz. So, a lot of royal intrigue, a lot of powers intrigue in Saudi Arabia, a lot of people wondering what will happen.”

Funeral services for the Prince are scheduled for Tuesday.

Transcript by Newsy