Podcast: Jamal Khashoggi’s murder by Saudi operatives, challenges face Iraq’s new government

In this episode of the Middle East Weekly podcast, we discuss the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi agents in Istanbul, the formation of and challenges facing Iraq’s new government, the re-instatement of sanctions on Iran, and an election boycott in Bahrain. Khashoggi was murdered when he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork for his marriage. After initially denying reports of his killing, Saudi authorities have since acknowledged his death and enacted their own investigation. They have continued to deny charges by Turkish authorities that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s death personally, instead insisting that the killers were acting of their own accord. In Iraq, the new President Barham Salih is working to form his cabinet. He faces domestic pressure to address inefficiencies and shortages of critical government services, especially utilities. Iranian officials have debated legal action to align the country with European policies on terror financing, in an effort to convince European countries to continue doing business with Iran as American sanctions come back into effect. In Bahrain, the opposition party al-Wefaq staged a boycott ahead of elections there, citing discriminatory government policies preventing its members from running for office.