Khashoggi Killed For Revealing Funding Source Of Anti-Iran TV Channel, Claims ‘Guardian’ Journalist

Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey last month, may have lost his life after disclosing the funding source of an anti-Iran TV channel based in the United Kingdom, according to PressTV.

Following a terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, Iran International TV gave airtime to the spokesperson for the extremist separatist group that claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yacoub Hor al-Tostari praised the attack that killed at least two dozen people.

In a report published on Oct. 2, The Guardian cited a source close to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for claiming that the TV network based in Chiswick, west London received $250 million, or around £192 million, from the Saudi royal court per year.

“Iran International is one of an increasing number of London-based television stations backed by Middle Eastern interests that are trying to influence audiences thousands of miles away,” Saeed Kamali Dehghan, The Guardian‘s Iran correspondent, wrote in the report.

Now, in a tweet posted on Friday, Kamali Dehghan finally revealed who his source was. It was slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Khashoggi, who was assassinated on the same day the report was published.

Kamali Dehghan said that Khashoggi was killed for speaking to him on the phone through which the latter revealed the source of Iran International’s funding.

“I can confirm that Jamal Khashoggi was killed because of speaking to me on the phone from Istanbul in the morning on 26 September, revealing that London-based Iran International TV was funded by Mohammad Bin Salman and Saud al-Qahtani,” Kamali Dehghan said, according to PressTV.

The Inquisitr earlier reported that Saudi Arabia may have used a spyware called Pegasus to monitor Khashoggi. Former CIA employee Edward Snowden said during a video conference with an audience in Tel Aviv that the software, developed by Israel-based NSO Group Ltd, was used to bug the devices of Khashoggi’s friends and contacts, which may have helped track and kill Khashoggi.

Khashoggi’s death is blamed on bin Salman. Officials in Turkey claimed that Khashoggi was murdered by a team of Saudi agents and said they have evidence to back up this claim.

Iran’s Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad praised Kamali Dehghan for his bold move but warned him of the risks that he may encounter.

“Mr. Kamali Dehghan, the Guardian correspondent, confirmed in a brave step that Khashoggi had revealed before his death to him information about the establishment of the Persian-language ‘Iran International’ network by Saudi authorities,” he said.