US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was still gathering facts about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, to understand what had happened accurately, and to reveal all those involved in the operation.
In a televised interview with the Sinclair Group, Pompeo said it was possible to maintain important US-Saudi relations for the two countries, while holding accountable those responsible for Khashoggi's death.
He stressed that Washington will continue to do everything in its power to maintain the strength of this relationship.
During his recent visit to the kingdom, the US secretary of state told the Saudis that those responsible for Khashoggi's killing should be held accountable. A State Department statement said Pompeo assured Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the importance of conducting a credible investigation into the death of Jamal Khashoggi, Those responsible.
The King and his Crown Prince "have recognized the need for accountability and talked about the ongoing process in their country, the process of investigation and the judicial process, and reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the goal, the expectations we have set for them."
Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, and Riyadh confessed to killing and cutting him after a period of denial and various accounts, and vowed to hold those involved in the crime, and showed no trace of his body so far.