Official White House Photo Shealah Craighead
In a recent interview, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman has warned that oil prices could rise steeply if the world does not act to deter Iran.
The prince said failure to act could embolden Iran and lead to war, which he said would ruin the global economy, following an attack on oil facilities which he blames on Tehran.
Iran said the Saudi prince’s remarks would “bring [the Saudis] nothing but shame”.
Speaking to CBS’ 60 Minutes program on September 29, Prince Mohammed bin Salman also said he accepted some responsibility for journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing.
However, he denied personally ordering it.
The prince, who is considered the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, is suspected of personally targeting Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist critical of the government in Riyadh.
Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Turkey on October 2, 2018.
During the interview, the prince said: “I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it [the killing] was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government.”
However, Mohammed bin Salman denied ordering the killing of Jamal Khashoggi directly, or having knowledge of it at the time.
Saudi authorities have since blamed a “rogue” operation for his murder and put 11 men on trial.
The crown prince also appeared to offer talks for a political solution to the civil war in Yemen, where government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition are fighting Houthi rebels supported by Iran.
Iran is Saudi Arabia’s regional rival and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear program after Donald Trump took power.
US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year, with the US blaming Iran on attacks on six oil tankers in the Gulf between May and July. However, Iran rejects the accusations.
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