Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "validated" the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States said on Friday.

However, no sanction has been taken against the crown prince.

“Joe Biden needs Saudi Arabia,” explains political scientist Nicole Bacharan.

ANALYSIS

Everything except an open crisis.

The United States publicly accused the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on Friday of having "validated" the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, punishing some of his relatives, without going so far as to punish the powerful leader in the hope to avoid the "rupture" with this key ally.

"Joe Biden carefully distances himself from this affair," analyzes Nicole Bacharan, political scientist specializing in the United States, invited to Europe 1 on Saturday. 

"Joe Biden needs Saudi Arabia"

The report, declassified at the request of President Joe Biden while his predecessor Donald Trump had kept it secret, points out that the young Saudi leader had "absolute control" of the intelligence and security services, "making it very unlikely" such an operation without its "green light".

Ryad "totally rejected the false and damaging conclusions".

Although directly implicated, Mohammed ben Salman is not among those sanctioned. 

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“It has been known for a long time that the whole affair comes directly from above. But there will be no direct sanctions against the prince himself because Joe Biden needs Saudi Arabia to contain the "Iran, to fight against terrorist groups, to continue negotiations throughout the Middle East within the framework of peace agreements with Israel. Also out of fear that the Saudis will approach China," explains Nicole Bacharan. 

Change of direction

Before his election in November, Joe Biden had ruled that the Gulf kingdom should be treated as a "pariah" state for this affair and that those responsible for the murder should "pay the consequences".

But becoming president, he tried to clear the land by calling King Salman on Thursday.

"The exercise of power is more difficult in the real world," notes the political scientist.   

After having denied the assassination of the journalist for several weeks, Ryad ended up saying that it had been committed by Saudi agents who acted alone.

After an opaque trial in Saudi Arabia, five Saudis were sentenced to death and three others to prison terms.

The death sentences have since been commuted.