This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

US defense secretary James Mattis said on Saturday the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi undermined Middle Eastern stability and Washington would take additional measures against those responsible. But he reiterated the Trump administration’s commitment to Saudi Arabia, a key ally against Iran.

Jamal Khashoggi killing: what we know and what will happen next Read more

At the same conference in Bahrain, Saudi foreign minister Adel al Jubeir said Riyadh’s relations with Washington were “ironclad” amid “hysteria in the media” over Khashoggi’s killing.

Khashoggi, who was a Washington Post columnist and US permanent resident, was killed on 2 October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. His death has fuelled a crisis for the world’s top oil exporter, the lynchpin of a US-backed regional bloc against Iran.

The killing has been widely linked to the circle of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi ruler. Mattis did not mention him by name on Saturday. Jubeir said those behind the killing would be prosecuted in the kingdom and that the investigation would take time.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor has said Khashoggi’s killing was premeditated, contradicting a previous official statement that it happened accidentally. Saudi officials have also said Khashoggi was accidentally killed in a botched security operation.

In his remarks at a Manama security conference, Mattis said: “With our collective interests in peace and unwavering respect for human rights in mind, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly. Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most.”

Donald Trump has said he wants to get to the bottom of the case, but has also repeatedly highlighted Riyadh’s role as an ally against Tehran and a major purchaser of US arms.

While these were some of the sharpest comments Mattis has made on the Khashoggi killing, he said the incident would not diminish ties with Saudi Arabia. He also went through a list of what he described as disruptive Iranian behavior – a message most Gulf allies will view positively since they share similar concerns about Iran’s increasing influence in Syria and Iraq.

“It’s hard to imagine that this administration in particular is going to change fundamentally how it views the role of the Saudis in terms of counterterrorism, in terms of counter-Iran,” said Dennis Ross, who served as top Middle East adviser to Barack Obama in his first term.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week announced moves against 21 Saudis to either revoke their visas or make them ineligible for US visas after the Khashoggi killing.

“Our secretary of state ... will be taking additional measures as the situation is clarified,” Mattis said.

Mattis also said Russia – a major ally of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad – could not be a replacement for the US and its “long-standing, enduring, and transparent” commitment to the Middle East. He said it was important to end a 16-month dispute between Qatar and four states analysts say has weakened coordination against Iran.

Play Video 1:09 Fiancee says Jamal Khashoggi was worried about visiting Saudi consulate - video

Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of backing Iran and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the charges.

Erdoğan tells Saudis: show us where Jamal Khashoggi's body is Read more

In Tehran, Iran president Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday the US was isolated among its allies and that even Europe was siding with Tehran against the reimposition of sanctions.

“It does not happen often that the US makes a decision and its traditional allies abandon it,” Rouhani told parliament in a speech carried live on state television.

Washington reintroduced sanctions against Iran’s currency trade, metals and auto sectors in August, after the US withdrawal from a multinational 2015 deal that limited on Iran’s nuclear programme.

European countries have criticised the US withdrawal and have been putting together a package of economic measures to help offset US pressures. Curbs on Iran’s vital oil exports are set to come into force on 4 November.

“A year ago no one would have believed … that Europe would stand with Iran and against America,” Rouhani said. “Russia, China, India, the European Union and some African and Latin American countries are our friends. We have to work with them and attract investments.”