Riyadh: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is claiming that Saudi Arabia would not have dared have journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul without having some sort of backing from the United States.

The remarks follow Turkey’s assertion that the writer was killed by a 15-man Saudi hit squad that included a member of Prince Mohammed’s entourage on overseas trips.

Wednesday’s report by the state-run IRNA news agency quotes Rouhani as saying: “I don’t think that without getting support from the United States, a country would dare to commit such a crime.”

Rouhani offered no evidence for his allegations.

Rouhani also called the Saudi system of government a “tribal rule” under which individuals enjoy protection and support from those in power. That protection is such that no court would initiate any actions against those individuals.