Riyadh has hit back at the US Senate and its recent vote to end US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and the passing of a resolution blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

“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,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement posted on the Saudi Press Agency website.

“The kingdom categorically rejects any interference in its internal affairs, any and all accusations, in any manner, that disrespect its leadership, represented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, and any attempts to undermine its sovereignty or diminish its stature,” the statement added.

The statement also said that Riyadh continues to work towards achieving a political solution in Yemen and considers the humanitarian situation in the country a priority and provides significant aid to the Yemeni people in all areas of Yemen.

“The kingdom also emphasises that such a position will not affect its leading role in the region, in the Arab and Muslim worlds, and internationally,” the statement said.

For Khashoggi, the statement said that the matter is dealt with by the Saudi legal system. “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.  Accordingly, the kingdom reaffirms its rejection of any attempts to take the case out of the path of justice in the kingdom.”