US Senator says Saudi crown prince 'has gone full gangster'

A US Senator on Wednesday accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of going "full gangster", due to his alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October.

Senator Marco Rubio accused Prince Mohammed of being "reckless, ruthless" and "increasingly willing to test the limits of what he can get away with". 

"He's gone full gangster," Rubio added.

Rubio's comment comes as lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump's nomination for the next US ambassador to Riyadh role, retired army Gen. John Abizaid.

The United States has not had an ambassador to Saudi Arabia since Trump became president in January 2017.

Tensions have mounted between Washington and Riyadh since the grisly murder of Khashoggi, which caused global outrage.

Abizaid stressed the importance of the US-Saudi relationship during the hearing and said the Trump administration believes that US support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen should continue.

"Doing so bolsters the self-defence capabilities of our partners and reduces the risk of harm to civilians," Abizaid said, according to Reuters.

The House of Representatives passed the war powers resolution last year calling for an end to US support for Riyadh's war in Yemen.

Its passage was considered a strong rebuke for the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Last month, a group of US senators on Tuesday introduced a bill that would oblige the CIA to submit a public report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

The CIA has already concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered Khashoggi's death, however, the Trump administration has avoided taking any serious action against its close Gulf ally.

Agencies contributed to this report.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab