Reuters / Leah Millis
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in Saudi Arabia.
- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly delivered a stern warning to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, urging him to "own" the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen publicly since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2.
- An unnamed source familiar with his meeting told CNN that Pompeo told bin Salman "every fact is going to get out," and floated the possibility that "his future as king" would depend on how he handles the situation.
- Publicly, the Trump administration on Wednesday continued to tout a "strong denial" from the Saudis that they had any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, despite mounting clues to the contrary.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly delivered a stern warning to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, urging him to "own" the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen publicly since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2.
An unnamed source familiar with his meeting told CNN that Pompeo told bin Salman "every fact is going to get out," and floated the possibilty that "his future as king" would depend on how he handles the situation.
The top US diplomat Pompeo also emphasized that bin Salman needs to be more forthcoming about the incident "even if the crown prince didn't know about it beforehand," CNN reported,
The account paints a different of the meeting, during which Pompeo was pictured smiling broadly while meeting with Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials.
Pompeo reportedly issued a blunt warning that, if the crown prince doesn't step up, the US will have to "take action because the world will demand it," CNN's source said, adding that "President Trump's hand will be forced by the global pressure."
Publicly, the Trump administration on Wednesday continued to tout a "strong denial" from the Saudis that they had any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, despite mounting clues to the contrary.
When asked for details on what he and the Saudis discussed during their meetings, Pompeo said,"I don't want to talk about any of the facts, and they didn't want to either."