Saudi Arabia has warned of “its influential and vital role in the global economy” after US President Donald Trump said the kingdom could face severe consequences following the disappearance and alleged murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now A statement Sunday on the state-run Saudi Press Agency website, citing an official source, said: “The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it.” This followed remarks made by Trump during a 60 Minutes interview released Saturday in which he warned Riyadh could “face severe punishment” if it was proven that Khashoggi had been killed inside Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul. Brinkmanship between the world’s largest crude exporter and the US, the biggest consumer nation, comes at a difficult time for the market with oil continuing to trade above $80/b. According to Energy […]