Saudi Arabia blasts Senate for its response to Khashoggi murder

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the Senate on Monday for its votes last week to pull U.S. support from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's ongoing civil war and blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, stating the nation rejects "any attempts to undermine its sovereignty or diminish its stature."

The big picture: The Senate votes broke markedly with the official position of the Trump administration, which publicly stood behind Saudi Arabia with a controversial statement from President Trump last month despite a CIA report linking MBS to Khashoggi's death. Saudi Arabia referenced this break in its statement, saying it hopes it "is not drawn into domestic political debates in the United States of America, to avoid any ramifications on the ties between the two countries that could have significant negative impacts on this important strategic relationship."