S intelligence report out Friday says Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved of an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018 in a manner choreographed to limit damage to US Saudi ties.

Casio G.

A U.

S resident, who wrote opinion columns for The Washington Post critical of the crown prince's policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the crown prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

His remains have not been found.

Riyadh has denied any involvement by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.

In the report, the U.

S office of the director of National Intelligence said Quote, We based this assessment on the Crown Princess, control of decision making in the kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Mohammed bin Salman's protective detail in the operation and the Crown Princess support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Kashiwagi.

In declassifying the report, US President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's refusal to release it.

The administration announced sanctions and visa bans on Friday targeting Saudi Arabian citizens, but it will not impose sanctions on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, US officials said.

This comes as Biden's administration reassesses its relationship with the kingdom.

The US is considering the cancellation of arms deals with Saudi Arabia that polls human rights concerns while limiting future military sales to defensive weapons.

However, Biden is trying to tread a fine line to preserve ties with the kingdom as he seeks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with its regional rival, Iran, to address other challenges, including fighting Islamist extremism and advancing Arab Israeli ties.