Washington: US President Donald Trump has warned Saudi Arabia of "severe punishment" if it is responsible for the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is feared killed, that has resulted in global outrage against the kingdom.
Trump, in an interview to CBS News, said the Saudis could be behind the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Khashoggi.
The Saudi journalist has been missing since he entered the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, and Turkish officials have accused Riyadh of murdering him inside the diplomatic mission.
Trump said Saudi Arabia has denied "in every way you can imagine" having anything to do with Khashoggi's disappearance.
"We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment," Trump said, according to an extract of the interview released on Saturday.
"As of this moment, they deny it and they deny it vehemently. Could it be them? Yes," Trump said in the interview, which was conducted on Thursday, when asked if Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia may still be responsible, and an investigation is ongoing, he said.
"There is a lot at stake and maybe especially so because this man was a reporter. There's something - you'll be surprised to hear me say that - there's something really terrible and disgusting about that if that was the case," Trump said.
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