TEHRAN – Three senior members of Saudi Arabia's royal family, including the king's brother, have been arrested for unexplained reasons.

The detentions, which took place early on Friday morning, have been linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The three men reported to have been arrested are the king's younger brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and a royal cousin, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef.

Mohammed bin Nayef was interior minister until he was removed from his role and placed under house arrest by Mohammed Bin Salman in 2017.

In 2017 dozens of Saudi royal figures, ministers and businessmen were confined to the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh after the crown prince ordered their arrests.

If confirmed, this could be a move by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to consolidate his position. Prince Ahmed bin Abdelaziz is one of the last surviving sons of the country's founder, King Abdelaziz.

The other senior prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, was next in line to the throne before he was suddenly replaced three years ago.

There has been no immediate official confirmation or denial of the story published in the media but palace affairs in Saudi Arabia are often shrouded in secrecy.

Mohammed bin Salman has been embroiled in a series of scandals including the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul in 2018.