Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., raised eyebrows this week when the stalwart Saudi supporter told Fox News that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “has got to go.” Now French newspaper Le Figaro is reporting that at least seven representatives of the clans that make up the royal family are meeting in “utmost discretion” to chart a course out of the diplomatic mess created by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi from the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Gulf experts surveyed by Al-Monitor agreed that anything is possible as the opaque royal family weighs the financial and political cost of leaving in charge the brash 33-year-old Prince Mohammed, who is often referred to by his initials MBS.

“At this point we’re in uncharted waters,” said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and a regular contributor to Al-Monitor’s Gulf Pulse. “Almost anything could happen, and it’s also possible that MBS could bluff his way through this whole thing and come out the other side.”

Why it matters: The crown prince branded himself as the reformist face of the kingdom as it seeks to transition away from oil wealth to a knowledge-based economy. Now, with allegations flying that he ordered Khashoggi’s brutal murder, he’s become the target of international ire and the embodiment of barbarity.