The United States on Friday publicly accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. This is the first time that the US has named the de-facto ruler of its ally Saudi in the killing.
An intelligence report newly declassified by President Joe Biden's administration has concluded that the prince "approved an operation in Istanbul to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." The report added that given Prince Mohammed's influence, it was "highly unlikely" that the 2018 murder could have taken place without his green light.
Khashoggi, a critic of Prince Mohammed who wrote for The Washington Post and was a US resident, was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, then killed and cut into pieces.