The murder of Saudi opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul would not have been committed without the support from the United States, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2018) The murder of Saudi opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul would not have been committed without the support from the United States, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.
"Nobody would imagine that in today's world, we witness such an organised murder and I don't think without getting support from the United States a country would dare to commit such a crime ... It seems that a tribe ruling a country is enjoying protection, and relies on a superpower to commit such a crime and that superpower supports them," Rouhani said at a Cabinet session, as quoted by his press service.
Iran's leader pointed out that the United States supports the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni conflict even though the coalition's strikes have resulted in many victims among the civilians.
"How come a nation as great as Yemen has been under severe bombardment for years and the world is silent towards it? If it were not for US support, would the people of Yemen be under such savage bombardment?," Rouhani stressed.
Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi policies, was working as a columnist for The Washington Post. The journalist was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Following more than two weeks of denials, Saudi Arabia admitted on Friday that the journalist had been killed in a brawl inside the consulate. According to Riyadh, 18 people have been arrested over their involvement in the incident. Turkey is conducting a separate investigation into the journalist's death.
