Mohammed Bin Salman (MbS) was addressing a group of American evangelicals when he is thought to have made the comments. The Crown Prince was met with a barrage of criticism from around the world after Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, went missing last month, with Turkey accusing MbS of authorising his torture and murder. Angry it the continued negative reaction toward Saudi Arabia, MbS is thought to have ranted in front of a US delegation.
He is alleged to have angrily said: “Listen, I am arresting people, firing people.
“Iran? When they kill people are they arresting people? No. You get promoted.
“What about the Russians? What about the Turks?”
The outburst was recollected by Joel Rosenberg, a US communications executive, who organised the trip.
Mr Rosenberg recalled: “He said, ‘Listen, this is a heinous act.
“He said, ‘It’s a terrible mistake and we have already arrested 18 people. I fired 5, we are going to get to the bottom of this and people will have to pay.
“‘It’s a completely unacceptable mistake and it comes at a time that threatens all the reforms we are trying to get done. It’s a disaster.'”
The country has been snubbed by its allies in the face of the murder.
Both the UK and the US refused to send representatives to a major Saudi trade conference shortly after the murder.
The Middle East regime has changed its official position on what happened to the journalist on multiple occasions in the face of international pressure.
First Saudi claimed Mr Khashoggi had left the consulate unharmed.
Then they explained he had died after a fight broke out before finally confirming his murder had been premeditated.
The country’s attorney general said: “The suspects in the incident had committed their act with a premeditated intention.
“The Public Prosecution continues its investigations with the accused in the light of what it has received and the results of its investigations to reach facts and complete the course of justice.”