Given that Saudi Arabia is Iran’s main regional rival, Iranian censors have allowed the Iranian media to extensively cover the disappearance and possible murder of The Washington Post columnist and Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
In addition to daily headlines about the missing journalist, the focus has also been on possible tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. While Aftab News covered the Khashoggi case with the headline “Tensions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia,” the article itself did not dive deep into the possible dimensions of the conflict. It noted instead that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was demanding proof of Khashoggi’s exit from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The website Tabnak's headline read “Saudi denies Turkish forces entry into the home of Saudi general consul.” Iranian Students’ News Agency chose the headline “Erdogan: Saudi explanations regarding Khashoggi case are not satisfactory.” IRIB news featured statements by Republican People's Party opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in their headline: “The Turkish government must reconsider ties with Saudi Arabia.”