The details remained murky, but any internal unrest would raise alarms among the US and other Western nations, which have long viewed Jordan's ruling monarchy as a key military ally and a bastion of stability in a volatile region.
Gen. Yousef Huneiti, the army chief of staff, denied reports that Prince Hamzah – the king's half-brother who was also a former crown prince – had been arrested. He said an investigation is still ongoing and its results will be made public “in a transparent and clear form.”
“No one is above the law and Jordan’s security and stability are above all,” he told the official Petra news agency.
Petra had earlier reported that two senior officials who formerly worked for the palace “and others” had been arrested for “security reasons,” without providing further details.
The Petra report said Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, the former royal envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, the former head of the royal court, were detained. Awadallah also previously served as planning minister and finance minister.
The agency did not provide further details or name the others who were arrested.
“We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”
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