A member of the Jordanian royal family and the former head of the royal court have been arrested

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Petra did not provide additional details about the arrests, saying an investigation is underway.

Zaid is a distant cousin of King Abdullah II. His brother was Ali bin Zaid, an intelligence agent killed along with seven CIA agents in 2010 in a suicide attack in Khost, Afghanistan.

Saudi Arabia said it supports King Abdullah’s decision to maintain his country’s security, according to a statement released Saturday by the Saudi News Agency.

“The Kingdom affirms its full position alongside the brother Hashemite kingdom of Jordan and its full support with all its capabilities for all decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and His Highness Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, Crown Prince, to maintain security and stability, “according to the statement quoted by the Royal Court.

The U.S. State Department said Saturday that King Abdullah is a “key partner” of the United States.

“We are following the reports closely and in contact with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner in the United States and has our full support,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in an email on CNN.

King Abdullah has ruled the country since the death of his father, King Hussein, in 1999.

CNN’s Ghazi Balkiz and Tamara Qiblawi reported from Beirut, Jomana Karadsheh from Istanbul and Sharif Paget from Atlanta.

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