For the first time, King Abdullah II of Jordan has directly addressed his unprecedented fallout with his half-brother, the former crown prince, Hamzah bin Hussein, who had been accused of plotting a coup against the sitting monarch. “I am speaking to [the Jordanian people] today to reassure you that the sedition has been crushed,” the king said in a statement read live on state TV channels. “The challenge of the last few days was not the toughest or the most dangerous to the stability of our homeland, but it was the most painful for me, because those involved in the sedition came from within our own home and from outside it,” he said, adding that “nothing has come close” to the “shock and anger” he felt about about the ordeal.

The king added that an investigation into the alleged plot is ongoing. His statement follows a letter from Prince Hamzah released by the Royal Court on Monday, in which the former crown prince affirmed his allegiance to the monarchy. As of Tuesday, Jordan had banned the publication of any news relating to the royal feud.