Pompeo has reportedly heard recording of Khashoggi's murder

While in Turkey on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listened to an audio recording of the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, a senior Turkish official told ABC News on Thursday.

The official said the recording was played during a meeting, and Pompeo was also given a transcript. The Saudi-born Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was living in Virginia, and went to the consulate on Oct. 2 to get paperwork he needed for his upcoming wedding; this was the last time he was seen. Turkish officials have said, and U.S. intelligence increasingly believes, that Saudi Arabia is behind Khashoggi's disappearance and presumed murder. The State Department denied that Pompeo had a transcript of the recording or listened to it.

ABC News also is reporting that Turkish officials believe Khashoggi died of strangulation, after an eight-minute struggle. It's unclear if Pompeo passed the transcript on to Trump, but on Thursday, the president said it "certainly looks like" Khashoggi is dead, and if Saudi Arabia is behind it, the country will face "very severe" consequences.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up