The Biden administration, on Friday, announced sanctions and visa bans targeting 76 Saudi Arabian citizens over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not on the sanctions list, reports CNBC.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the “Khashoggi Ban” will bar visas for people acting on behalf of a foreign government who are believed to be engaged in “counter-dissident” activities on foreign soil. When asked why the crown prince was not among those facing punishment, Blinken emphasized the importance of U.S. interests and not rupturing relations with Saudi Arabia.
A report was released by the US intelligence on February 26 showing that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia approved of the death of Jamal Khashoggi. However, the officials in Saudi Arabia have said that they do not agree with the findings.
The US is also considering other ways of punishing Saudi Arabia for the killing of Khashoggi.
