Saudi Arabia on Sunday called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate a "huge and grave mistake" but sought to shield its powerful crown prince from the widening crisis, saying Mohammed bin Salman had not been aware.
The comments from Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were some of the most direct yet from Riyadh, which has given multiple and conflicting accounts about Khashoggi's killing on Oct.2, first denying his death before admitting it on Saturday amid an international outcry.
The kingdom's weeks of denial and lack of credible evidence in the face of allegations from Turkish officals that Khashoggi had been killed have shaken global confidence in ties with the world's top oil exporter, Western governments say.