Prince Mohammed, de facto ruler of the US-allied Gulf powerhouse, has denied any involvement in the 2018 murder of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Washington released an intelligence report saying the crown prince had approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi. “But the kingdom prefers America due to their historic and strategic ties and common goals,” he said, referring to Iran. Biden, who has ordered a review of Saudi arms sales, said his administration would make an announcement on Saudi Arabia on Monday. Abdullah al-Otaibi, writing in London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper which is Saudi-owned, said the kingdom, Washington’s oldest Arab ally, was “not a banana republic to be shaken by threats”.

Source: Egypt Independent February 28, 2021 12:22 UTC