Khashoggi’s Widow Speaks Out: Says Her Life Was ‘Destroyed’ as Saudi Prince Meets Trump

The widow of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said it is “very painful” to see Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman return to the United States, six years after her husband’s killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

US President Donald Trump hosted the crown prince at the White House on Tuesday, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The meeting focused on regional and economic issues, including Saudi Arabia’s potential entry into the Abraham Accords, major investment plans in the US, and discussions on the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh.

Speaking to CNN, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said the visit has been deeply distressing. “It’s very painful for me,” she said, adding that Jamal Khashoggi had once hoped for dialogue with the crown prince. “Jamal was waiting for an invitation… he wanted to share his ideas and vision for his country.”

She revealed that she had written to Trump seeking help in securing a financial settlement from the Saudi leadership. The murder, she said, “destroyed my life,” urging US leaders to prioritise “American values of human rights and democracy” in their dealings with Riyadh. She added that justice for her husband remains incomplete.

Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident and prominent critic of the Saudi government, was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in October 2018. US intelligence agencies later assessed that Prince Mohammed had approved the operation — an allegation the Saudi government denies.

Following a closed-door trial in Saudi Arabia, five men were initially sentenced to death and three others to prison terms. The death sentences were later commuted, and Khashoggi’s remains have never been recovered.