US President Donald Trump has called Saudi Arabia’s response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi “the worst cover-up ever”.
He added that whoever organised the plot “should be in big trouble”.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, shortly afterwards, that the US “will punish those responsible” and is revoking visas of 21 identified suspects.
The US has faced pressure to toughen its stance on Saudi Arabia, a key ally.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr. Trump said: “They had a very bad original concept, it was carried out poorly and the cover up was the worst in the history of cover-ups.”
“Whoever thought of that idea, I think is in big trouble. And they should be in big trouble,” he said.
The Saudi kingdom has provided conflicting accounts of what happened to Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post contributor.
After weeks of maintaining he was still alive, the authorities now say the 59-year-old was killed in a rogue operation after visiting the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
In a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Mr. Pompeo said that he and the president were “not happy with the situation”.
“We’re making very clear that the United States does not tolerate this ruthless action to silence Khashoggi, a journalist, through violence,” he said.
When asked whether the US would accept Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s explanation of the incident, Mr. Pompeo said: “We’re going to accept what America learns.”
“We have people working all across the world to put our own understanding together. We have to develop our own data set. We will learn the facts ourselves.”
Mr. Pompeo also said the US was looking into the possibility of imposing sanctions on those believed to be involved in Khashoggi’s killing.
A State Department official told CNN that the suspects whose visas were being revoked would not be named due to “visa confidentiality”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told MPs from his ruling party that the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was planned days in advance.
He said Turkey had strong evidence Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated and “savage” murder at the consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.
He also called for the suspects to be tried in Istanbul.
Mr. Erdogan’s address coincided with the start of an investment conference in Saudi Arabia that has been overshadowed by the Khashoggi case. Dozens of government and business leaders have pulled out, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appeared at the event on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Foreign Titbits: Khashoggi death: US meets Saudi crown prince despite criticism
Many world leaders have condemned the murder of the prominent Saudi critic and demanded a full investigation.
While Mr. Trump has ramped up his criticisms of Saudi officials, he has also highlighted the kingdom’s importance as a US ally.
Hurricane Willa makes landfall in Mexico
Hurricane Willa, a storm described by forecasters as “life-threatening” and “potentially catastrophic”, has made landfall in western Mexico.
Currently a category three storm, it has maximum winds of 195km/h (120mph) and is causing “an extremely dangerous storm surge”.
The National Hurricane Center has warned residents to stay indoors.
Earlier this month areas of the US were devastated by Hurricane Michael, which left at least 27 people dead.
A hurricane warning is in effect in coastal areas from San Blas to the tourist city Mazatlan, as well as Las Islas Marias.
The US’s National Hurricane Centre says the hurricane is expected to weaken rapidly after landfall, but has warned that the storm could still cause “life-threatening flash flooding and landslides”.
In Mazatlan, a popular beach resort, some residents were seen stocking up on food and water ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.
In the nearby town of Escuinapa, people have been gathering in shelters.
Hurricane Michael, which made landfall on 10 October, was the most powerful storm ever to hit north-west Florida.
Residents of Mexico Beach, one of the areas worst affected, described the aftermath as a “war zone”.