Jamal Khashoggi Murdered Inside Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by 15-Member Hit Squad Sent by Crown Prince MBS

On October 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Saudi dissident journalist living in Virginia and writing for the Washington Post, is murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi enters the consulate at approximately 1:14 PM to obtain official documents for his upcoming wedding. He never leaves alive.

A 15-member team of Saudi agents traveled to Istanbul specifically to intercept Khashoggi. According to U.S. intelligence assessments, seven team members belonged to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s elite “Rapid Intervention Force” (RIF)—a protective detail under the crown prince’s direct command. The team also included a forensic doctor and individuals from the crown prince’s office.

Unknown to the Saudi operatives, Turkish intelligence had bugged the consulate. Audio recordings captured the entire murder, including pre-planned discussions about dismemberment. According to transcripts later released by Turkish authorities, when being drugged, Khashoggi’s final words were: “I have asthma. Do not do it, you will suffocate me.” At exactly 1:39 PM, the sound of an autopsy saw is heard on the recordings. The dismemberment procedure lasts half an hour.

Khashoggi’s body was dismembered and removed from the consulate by five of those charged in the killing, given to a local collaborator for disposal. His remains were never recovered.

U.S. Intelligence Assessment

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence later concluded: “We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill” Khashoggi. The report noted that since 2017, the crown prince has controlled all security organizations in Saudi Arabia, making it “highly unlikely” officials would conduct such an operation without his authorization.

In December 2018, then-CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed Senate leaders after visiting Turkey. Senators emerged convinced of the crown prince’s involvement. Senator Lindsey Graham stated the crown prince bore responsibility “in the highest possible level.”

Saudi Response and Cover-Up

Saudi Arabia initially denied all involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance. Over subsequent weeks, the kingdom issued multiple contradictory explanations before acknowledging that Khashoggi died inside the consulate. Saudi officials blamed “rogue” security officials acting without authorization. The kingdom later rejected U.S. intelligence assessments as “negative, false and unacceptable.”

Significance

The murder represents one of the most brazen state-sponsored assassinations of a journalist in modern history. Khashoggi held U.S. resident status and wrote for one of America’s most prominent newspapers. His murder exposed the authoritarian tactics of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and tested the U.S.-Saudi relationship under President Trump, who prioritized arms sales and regional alliances over accountability for the killing.

The case also revealed the international surveillance infrastructure enabling authoritarian regimes to track dissidents. UAE authorities had previously installed NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware on Khashoggi’s wife’s phone in April 2018, six months before the assassination, raising disturbing questions about whether surveillance of Khashoggi’s associates contributed to planning the murder.