Trump: We would punish ourselves by stopping arms sales to Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump said that the United States would "punish itself" if it stopped selling military equipment to Saudi Arabia, even if it is proven that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in that country's consulate in Istanbul.

"I really think we would be punishing ourselves if we did that," Trump told reporters at the White House, according to Reuters.

Khashoggi disappeared on October 2, after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.

Turkey claims it has evidence that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate building, which Riyadh rejects as a "lie".