IT has only been a little more than three months since Saudi Arabia got a new King, but it is already a Kingdom transformed. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has announced a shake-up that paves the way for a new generation of rulers in the world's biggest oil exporter. King Salman replaced Crown Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz with Prince Muhammad Bin Naif who was previously deputy crown prince. Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, was named deputy crown prince, elevating the young defense minister and royal court chief to second in line to the throne. Almost four months into his reign, King Salman has shown the world what kind of ruler he intends to be. He has reshuffled the heirs of his Kingdom in a decisive and surprising shift of power. In another significant development, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Kingdom's foreign minister since 1975, has stepped aside to become a senior adviser on international relations. Adel Al-Jubeir, the ambassador to Washington, has been named foreign minister, the first time since 1962 that a non-royal has held the post. These appointments signal that the Kingdom continues to value its close alliance with Washington, despite some reports that Riyadh was displeased over a potential nuclear deal with Iran. The change of guard in Riyadh should prompt some hard thinking in Washington about its Middle Eastern policy. The Obama administration is rightly pressing for a deal with Iran that would reduce sanctions on Tehran in return for a curbing of its nuclear program. However, the White House should accompany this with renewed efforts to ensure that any nuclear pact does not heighten tensions across the Gulf region. This month's summit between Mr. Obama and Gulf leaders will be an important moment that needs to be watched.
