US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Wednesday that no evidence links Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the murder of citizen Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October.
"There is no direct reporting connecting the Crown Prince to the order to murder Jamal Khashoggi," Pompeo said.
He said Prince Mohammed had steered the Kingdom towards reform, adding that Saudi Arabia was an influential player for stability in the Middle East.
Moreover, he warned that downgrading ties with Riyadh will not achieve anything and will be a "grave mistake" against the national security of the US and its allies.
Pompeo stressed that American-Saudi ties are important in the confrontation against Iran.
