Beyond the Headlines Podcast: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's US visit and ISIL's resurgence

Naser Al Wasmi is joined by Michael Stephens, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and Campbell MacDiarmid, who is in Iraq reporting for The National

This week, we discuss Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's international outreach. The 32-year-old heir to the Kingdom made stops in Cairo and London and is next heading to Washington for a two-week tour of the US.

This will be more than a political trip. After Washington, the Crown Prince is set to visit New York, Boston, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle to discuss economic co-operation, investments and his Vision 2030.

We talked to Michael Stephens, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He tells us what he thinks the Crown Prince hopes to accomplish on this historic tour.

Also, we look at the resurgence of ISIL in Iraq. Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi claimed the defeat of ISIL in 2017, but this week there have been dozens of deaths claimed by the terrorists.

Reporter Campbell MacDiarmid is in Iraq covering the resurgence of ISIL around the country. He told us what he perceives is the new phase in the battle.