Saudi de facto ruler approved operation that led to Khashoggi's death - U.S

Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman attends the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2021. Picture taken February 20, 2021. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler approved an operation to capture or kill murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to U.S. intelligence released on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on some of those involved but spared the crown prince himself in an effort to preserve relations with the kingdom.

Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.