In Oval Office Reset, MBS Denies Role In 'Painful' Khashoggi Killing As Trump Shields Saudi Prince

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) offered a sombre, yet steadfast, denial of any personal involvement in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a high-profile Oval Office meeting

with President Donald Trump. The encounter, marking the Crown Prince’s first visit to the White House since the assassination, was overshadowed by the journalist’s killing, despite the leaders’ efforts to focus on a deepening of economic and strategic ties.

Responding to a direct question regarding the murder, MBS reiterated his longstanding position, describing the episode as “painful for us in Saudi Arabia” and calling it a “huge mistake”. He told reporters that the kingdom had taken “all the right steps” in conducting its investigation and had “improved our system to be sure that nothing happened like that” again. This assertion maintains the official Saudi stance that the killing was a rogue operation carried out by agents acting outside official mandates, thereby shielding the Crown Prince from direct responsibility.

President Trump, seated beside the powerful de facto Saudi ruler, emphatically defended MBS, directly contradicting a 2021 US intelligence report that concluded the Crown Prince had approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi. Trump insisted that MBS “knew nothing about it”, and downplayed the victim’s significance, referring to Khashoggi as “somebody that was extremely controversial”, adding dismissively, “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.” The President even admonished a journalist for asking a question that might “embarrass our guest”.

The meeting, held amidst the pomp and ceremony typically reserved for heads of state, underscored the durability of the US-Saudi relationship despite the international outcry over the murder. While the Crown Prince acknowledged the pain of anyone “losing his life for no real purpose”, the combined denial from both leaders cemented a political rehabilitation for MBS in Washington, positioning the focus back onto lucrative agreements, including potential massive Saudi investments in the US and deals concerning advanced technology and defence.