U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have known about journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing, but he intends to "remain a steadfast partner" with the kingdom.
“Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!" Trump said in a White House statement.
It comes after a report in which the CIA concluded with high confidence that bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
After initially saying he left the consulate alive, the Saudi administration admitted weeks later he was killed there.
The president also said contracts signed with Saudi Arabia worth around $450 billion have created thousands of jobs, and "have worked closely" with the U.S. on stabilizing oil prices.
Out of the $450 billion investment, Saudi Arabia pledged to buy $110 billion worth of weapons, however, some defense analysts have determined only $14.5 billion in recorded sales, according to the New York Times.
"The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region," Trump said.
"I understand there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction – and they are free to do so," Trump added. "I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America."
Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said on Tuesday there is strong bipartisan support in Congress for serious sanctions against Saudi Arabia, "including appropriate members of the royal family."Graham's statement comes hours after Trump reiterated his defense of Riyadh over the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, even though the CIA believes Saudi Arabia's crown prince ordered the killing.Iran slams Trump's 'shameful' statement on KhashoggiUS Senators blast Trump's statement on Khashoggi
US Senator Graham sees bipartisan support for Saudi sanctions
Iran’s Foreign Minister sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday for pledging to stand by Saudi Arabia despite its role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi."Mr. Trump bizarrely devotes the FIRST paragraph of his shameful statement on Saudi atrocities to accuse IRAN of every sort of malfeasance he can think of," Javad Zarif said on Twitter.US Senators blast Trump's statement on Khashoggi“The country of Iran, as an example, is responsible for a bloody proxy war against Saudi Arabia in Yemen, trying to destabilize Iraq’s fragile attempt at democracy, supporting the terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon, propping up dictator Bashar Assad in Syria (who has killed millions of his own citizens), and much more. Likewise, the Iranians have killed many Americans and other innocent people throughout the Middle East,” Trump said in the statement, which was released by the White House.It came in the wake of a report in which the CIA concluded with high confidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing.Zarif also ridiculed the statement, alluding to recent comments by Trump while touring a fire-devastated town in California in which he claimed Finland’s president had told him the European country prevented wildfires in part by raking their forests."Perhaps we’re also responsible for the California fires, because we didn’t help rake the forests— just like the Finns do?"Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After initially saying he left the consulate alive, the Saudi administration admitted weeks later he was killed there.His body has yet to be returned to his family amid reports that it was chemically dissolved.
Iran slams Trump's 'shameful' statement on Khashoggi