Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will face the challenge of having an Iranian client, Yemen, bordering on its south, Avi Issacharoff wrote in a profile of the new king on Friday for The Times of Israel.

King Salman is not expected to make dramatic changes to Saudi Arabia’s foreign and defense policies. He was a central decision-maker in the kingdom since being appointed as heir to the throne in 2012. He held high-level meetings with Arab leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during that time, and has been involved in shaping the Middle East’s moderate Sunni camp.

Together with el-Sissi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and even the Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas, Salman is likely to try to block the advancing radical Sunni camp on the one hand (the Islamic State, al-Qaeda) and the Shiite camp, on the other.

With the fall of Yemen’s government last week, Issacharoff observed, “[e]ven if a new regime rises in Yemen that includes Sunnis and Houthis, the latter are likely to run the show and are expected to allow the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to operate in the country.”

Part of the Kingdom’s strategy in dealing with both Shiite and Sunni extremists will likely involve secret dealings too, with Israel:

Jerusalem should not expect a royal visit anytime soon. King Salman is likely to continue advancing the policy that has prevailed over the past two years — that is, the recognition that Israel is an important part of the war against the radical Sunni axis and the Shiite camp.

Salman succeeded his half-brother Abdullah who died early Friday morning. Shortly after ascending to the throne, Salman pledged to continue the policies of his brother.

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