Global backlash over Khashoggi killing is “hysteria”, Saudi foreign minister says
The global backlash over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has become “hysteria” and Saudi ties with the US are still “ironclad”, the kingdom's foreign minister has said.
Adel al-Jubeir said on Saturday those behind the murder of the Washington Post columnist would be prosecuted but the investigation would take time.
He described the international outcry as “hysteria in the media” when speaking at a security conference in Bahrain.
Meanwhile US defence secretary Jim Mattis said the killing “undermined” Middle Eastern stability and Washington had lost respect for the Saudi people.
"With our collective interests in peace and unwavering respect for human rights in mind, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly," Mattis said at the same conference.
"Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most," Mattis said.
He added that the US would take additional measures against those responsible.
Khashoggi, a US resident and prominent critic of the Saudi government and de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.
Saudi officials initially denied any involvement but Riyadh has since admitted he was killed in a botch operation.
Earlier this week the Saudi government said 18 people had been arrested and five senior officials sacked as part of the investigation.
The kingdom's public prosecutor also said the murder was premeditated as it continued the investigation.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also ramped up pressure on the kingdom to come clean over the incident.
Erdogan urged Saudi Arabia to reveal who order the killing, carried out by a 15-strong hit man squad, and disclose the location of Khashoggi's body.