Saudi crown prince says war with Iran would gut world economy – World

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia said in an interview on Sunday that the war with Iran would devastate the global economy and that he prefers a non-military solution to tensions with his regional rival.

"If the world does not take firm and firm action to deter Iran, we will see more escalations that will threaten world interests," said Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman ─ known as MBS for short ─ CBS "60 minutes" program.

"Oil supplies will be affected and oil prices will rise to unimaginably high numbers that we have not seen in our lives," said the crown prince.

MBS said a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran would be catastrophic for the world economy.

"The region accounts for approximately 30 percent of the world's energy supplies, approximately 20 percent of world trade tickets, approximately four percent of world GDP. Imagine that these three things stop," he said.

"This means a total collapse of the global economy, and not only of Saudi Arabia or the countries of the Middle East."

MBS said that a September 14 attack on Saudi oil facilities, which his country and the United States blamed on Iran, made no sense.

"There is no strategic objective. Only a fool would attack five percent of world supplies. The only strategic objective is to prove that they are stupid and that is what they did," said the crown prince.

He was directly asked if he ordered the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October last year.

"Absolutely not. This was a heinous crime. But I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially because it was committed by people working for the Saudi government," he said.

Read: I have full responsibility because it happened under my supervision: MBS about the murder of Khashoggi

"When officials working for the Saudi government commit a crime against a Saudi citizen as a leader, I must take responsibility. This was a mistake."

Body never found

MBS, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, has been under great international pressure after the American writer was killed and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Khashoggi's body was never found.

The crown prince has said that the murder was carried out without his knowledge.

Riyadh has repeatedly denied that the crown prince was behind the murder of Khashoggi, a member of the royal family who became a critic and American resident, who was killed in what the Saudi authorities described as a dishonest operation.

A report by a UN human rights expert, who conducted an independent investigation, said there was "credible evidence" linking the crown prince with the murder and an attempt to cover up.

According to reports, the CIA also said the murder was probably ordered by MBS.

But Saudi prosecutors acquitted the crown prince and said about two dozen people involved in the murder are being held, with death sentences against five men.