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WASHINGTON – President Trump said Monday that he had spoken with the King of Saudi Arabia and that the leader had denied any knowledge of the disappearance of a Saudi dissident journalist. After the call, Mr. Trump stated that it was possible that "dishonest killers" were behind the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Mr. Trump's comments, in one post Twitter morning and later in brief remarks to the journalists, while the Saudis gave the Turkish authorities permission to search the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Iran's President, Mike Pompeo, went to Saudi Arabia Monday morning to meet with King Salman.
Mr. Trump stated that his conversation with King Salman lasted about 20 minutes and that the king "strongly denied having known about it".
"It seemed to me that these killers could be thugs – who knows, maybe," Trump said.
Referring to the possibility of another party being involved in the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi, the president opened a window to allow King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to defend their demerits.
If it turns out that Saudi leaders are behind what happened to Mr. Khashoggi, Mr. Trump would likely face more pressure from Congress and from 39, other countries.
Mr. Trump acknowledged that the attention of the international community to the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi was at the center of attention. In Turkey, he was reportedly dismembered during his conversation with King Salman. Mr. Trump said that he had said to the king, "The world is watching. The world is talking, and it is very important to get to the bottom of things. "
US intelligence services had previously intercepted communications from Saudi officials discussing a plan to bring Mr. Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia from his home in exile in the Washington area, and then detain him, an old senior said. US manager last week.
The official, who requested anonymity to discuss reports of confidential information, said it was possible that this type of plan was executed without the knowledge of Saudi leaders.
US relations with the Saudis have always been a delicate balance, weighing economic considerations such as oil – and current arms sales – with the kingdom's record of human rights violations.
On Sunday, in an interview with "60 Minutes" on CBS, Trump said that even if the Saudis deny any involvement in the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi, it was still possible that they were responsible for it.
Mr. Trump said that because Mr. Khashoggi was a journalist, the case was even more serious.
"There is something really terrible and disgusting about it, if it was," Trump told CBS. "We will get to the bottom of things and the penalties will be severe."
Mr. Khashoggi went to the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain a document for his marriage. It has not been seen or heard since.
The chronicler is one of the most famous media personalities in the kingdom and has been the confidant of several previous kings and princes.
Mr. Khashoggi moved to Washington after Prince Mohammed launched a nationwide anti-corruption crackdown, including a campaign to silence the dissidents.
Mr. Khashoggi's friends have speculated that the chronicler's harsh words about the Crown Prince The articles he published in the Washington Post – including comparing Prince Mohammed to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin – put him on the Prince's blacklist.
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