SAUDI ARABIA denounced the U.S. Senate’s resolution to hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, accusing Americans of interfering in “internal affairs.”

The Senate passed a resolution last week to officially condemn bin Salman, calling for the Saudi Government to “ensure appropriate accountability for all those responsible for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.”

The resolution, which was opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell among others, is a stark contradiction to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has steadfastly supported and defended Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi’s October death within the Turkish consulate.

In response, Saudi Arabia urged the United States to mind its own business.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rejects the position expressed recently by the United States Senate, which was based upon unsubstantiated claims and allegations, and contained blatant interferences in the Kingdom’s internal affairs, undermining the Kingdom’s regional and international role,” the foreign ministry said in a statement through the Saudi Press Agency.

“The Kingdom has previously asserted that the murder of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi is a deplorable crime that does not reflect the Kingdom’s policy nor its institutions and reaffirms its rejection of any attempts to take the case out of the path of justice in the Kingdom.”

Saudi prosecutors have admitted that a 15-man hit squad traveled from Istanbul to kill and dismember Khashoggi, despite officials initially insisting the Washington Post journalist had left the consulate alive.

Bin Salman has called Khashoggi’s death a “heinous crime” and denied any knowledge of the attack.

While White House officials have cited economic ties to Saudi Arabia as reason to not take action, critics have pointed to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, and his close ties to bin Salman. (SD-Agencies)