TEHRAN (FNA)- Secretary of Iran's Human Rights Council Mohammad Javad Larijani argued that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was a victim of internal conflicts and feuds between the US democrats and was killed only after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman received a green light from President Donald Trump.
"Khashoggi had important information which was harmful to the US, including Trump and his family's economic relations with Mohammed bin Salman," Larijani said on Tuesday.
He noted that US President Donald Trump had felt danger from the side of Khashoggi as American Democrats had decided to use his information to their benefits in election campaigns; "hence, Trump told bin Salman that they should get rid of Khashoggi".
Larijani also said that the Saudis had been taught by the US security firms, including Blackwater, on how to kill Khashoggi, noting that Trump is now trying to whitewash the crime.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist known for his criticism of Saudi policies, disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia's acknowledgement that the journalist had been killed in a fight inside the consulate came after two weeks of denials and growing pressure from Western allies to provide explanations.
On October 26, the Saudi prosecutor general acknowledged that the journalist's murder was premeditated. However, Riyadh maintains that the killing had nothing to do with the Saudi Royal family, describing it as a rogue operation.