U.S. officials released an intelligence assessment on Friday saying Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the horrifying murder and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 foiling a yearslong effort by the kingdom, the Trump administration and global power players to dodge accountability for one of the biggest international scandals in recent memory.

We assess that Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, reads the report , which was led by the CIA. The document says American officials reached their conclusion because of their understanding of the princes absolute control over Saudi security operations, the involvement of people close to him in the assault and his view that Khashoggi was a threat.

The brief analysis does not mention other U.S. intelligence on the matter that remains classified, like intercepts of calls by the prince and his allies.

Separately, Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced a new policy called the Khashoggi ban to block visas for people harassing dissidents and journalists. Blinken said the U.S. will bar entry to 76 Saudis involved in targeting critics of the regime but he notably did not mention the prince.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also announced sanctions on an elite Saudi force linked to the prince as well as high-ranking former Saudi intelligence official Ahmed al-Asiri.

President Joe Biden and his director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, repeatedly promised to release the findings regarding Khashoggis assassination. The intelligence community had concluded weeks after it occurred that the prince was to blame, but then-President Donald Trump defied a law saying he must make that conclusion public and instead defended bin Salman.

I saved his ass, Trump told journalist Bob Woodward in 2019. Trump repeatedly spread the princes lie that he was not responsible, including in a shocking White House statement that smeared Khashoggi.

It could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event maybe he did and maybe he didnt! Trump said as the attack, which was partly carried out with a bone saw, dominated headlines worldwide.

The then-president used his veto power to block congressional efforts to punish the Saudis by cutting off weapons sales and U.S. support for the kingdoms vicious military campaign in Yemen, instead offering Riyadh additional arms worth hundreds of millions of dollars.