Jamal Khashoggi: Mike Pompeo lands in Saudi Arabia for talks with King Salman over missing journalist

US secretary of state to meet later with Crown Prince amid diplomatic crisis

Mike Pompeo met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia to discuss the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi as unconfirmed reports suggested the kingdom was preparing to admit the journalist died during an interrogation.

The US secretary of state was sent to Riyadh for talks with the kingdom’s leader after Donald Trump vowed to “get to the bottom” of what had happened to the Washington Post columnist.

Mr Pompeo is also due to have dinner with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who has been accused of ordering an operation to lure Mr Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Khashoggi vanished two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain marriage documents while his fiancée waited outside.

Turkish officials said they believe he was killed by a 15-strong hit squad, with some reports suggesting his body was dismembered before being removed.

Saudi officials have called the allegations “baseless” and the kingdom’s ruler insisted he had no knowledge of the incident in a phone call with the US president, who later suggested that Mr Khashoggi could have been murdered by “rogue killers.”

Turkish and Saudi officials entered the consulate in Istanbul to begin a joint investigation on Monday, with technicians in coveralls, gloves and covered shoes carrying out an hours-long search.

The Saudi consul’s residence in Istanbul will also be searched, according to Turkish officials.

It came as the New York Times reported a claim that the crown prince had approved the interrogation or rendition of Mr Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia but an official within the kingdom’s intelligence services “went too far” in an attempt to prove himself.

On Tuesday CNN reported that “the Saudis are preparing a report that will acknowledge that Mr Khashoggi’s death was the result of an interrogation that went wrong.”

The interrogation was intended to lead to his abduction from Turkey and was carried out without clearance, it is claimed.

Mr Pompeo landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning and was greeted by foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi ambassador to the US and the director of protocol ambassador Azzam al-Qain.

After arriving at the royal palace, he thanked King Salman “for accepting my visit on behalf of President Trump” before going into a closed-door meeting.

Mr Trump has previously warned of ”severe punishment” for the kingdom if it was found to be involved in Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance, but said that a ban on weapons sales would only hurt the US.

In response, Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate to possible economic sanctions. “The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it, whether through economic sanctions, political pressure or repeating false accusations,” it said in a statement.

“The kingdom also affirms that if it is [targeted by] any action, it will respond with greater action.”

Mr Khashoggi, who fled Saudi Arabia for the US in 2017, had become increasingly critical of Mohammad Bin Salman, the youthful Crown Prince who has styled himself as a moderniser.

He had written for the Washington Post about the kingdom’s war in Yemen, its diplomatic spat with Canada and the arrest of women’s rights activists after the lifting of a driving ban for women.

His fiancee ​Hatice Cengiz said Mr Khashoggi “was a patriot”, adding: “Jamal spoke up against oppression, but he paid for the Saudi people’s demand for freedom with his own life.”

Calls for an investigation were also backed by UK foreign minister Jeremy Hunt in a joint statement with his counterparts in France and Germany.

“There needs to be a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and – if relevant – to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, and ensure that they are held to account,” the foreign ministers said.

“We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard, and expect the Saudi government to provide a complete and detailed response. We have conveyed this message directly to the Saudi authorities.”

Additional reporting by Associated Press