Trump says Khashoggi likely dead but 'a bit early' to know

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US President Donald Trump said Thursday he believed Jamal Khashoggi was dead, as investigations into the Saudi journalist's disappearance moved out of Istanbul and a string of European and US ministers pulled out of an upcoming Riyadh summit.

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Will the US take action against Saudi Arabia?

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump for the first time admitted Khashoggi may be dead. "It certainly looks that way to me. It's very sad," he said.

The journalist, a Washington Post contributor and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Reports allege he was tortured and killed inside the building, and his body then dismembered.

Sources say a 15-man special team was dispatched by Saudi Arabia to carry out the operation. Riyadh has however denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance.

Turkish police arrive to investigate the Saudi consul general's residence in Istanbul, Turkey, October 17, 2018. /VCG Photo

Asked what the repercussions should be for Saudi Arabia if it was found responsible, Trump said on Thursday: "It'll have to be very severe. I mean, it's bad, bad stuff."

In an interview with the New York Times however, the president noted it was still "a little bit early" to conclude who was behind Khashoggi's disappearance and possible murder.

On Thursday morning, Trump met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, just back from Riyadh and Istanbul where he held talks with Saudi and Turkish leaders about the case.

Speaking to reporters later, Pompeo said he had told Trump that their Saudi counterparts should be given "a few more days" to investigate what happened to Khashoggi.

Once they had a better understanding of what happened, "we can make decisions about how - or if - the United States should respond to the incident," he said.

He insisted however: "It's important for us all to remember, we have… a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media following a meeting with President Trump in Washington, DC, October 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Trump administration has come under criticism for its lack of condemnation of Saudi Arabia, a traditional ally, over the Khashoggi case. On Wednesday, Trump said the US needed Riyadh in the fight against terrorism.

Was Khashoggi's body dumped in a forest?

In Turkey, the probe moved from the Saudi consulate and consul's residence where investigators have conducted searches in recent days, to areas outside Istanbul where it was believed Khashoggi's body may have been dumped.

Turkish officials told Reuters that investigators had tracked the routes of cars leaving the two locations to a forest north of the city, and a city 90 kilometers to the south.

"The investigations led to some suspicion that his remains may be in the city of Yalova and the Belgrad forest, police have been searching these areas," one official said.

Questions have swirled over whether Prince Mohammed – often depicted as the face of reform in conservative Saudi Arabia – was involved in Khashoggi's disappearance.

An outside view of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

On Thursday, Turkish daily Sabah identified a Saudi security official close to the crown prince as the leader of the special team sent to take care of the journalist.

The New York Times previously reported that at least four members of the team were part of Prince Mohammed's security detail, while others had close links to Saudi security services and the government.

How bad is the fallout for Saudi Arabia?

After CEOs of major companies, it was the turn of government ministers to pull out of a major investment conference in Riyadh next week over concerns about Khashoggi's case.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, British International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra all announced on Thursday that they would not be attending the Future Investment Initiative on October 23-25.

Goldman Sachs and Fox Business also joined the no-show list, which already included Credit Suisse, HSBC, JP Morgan, Uber, Bloomberg, CNBC and The Economist.

Mnuchin's announcement caused US stocks to fall on Thursday.

Human rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, meanwhile appealed to the United Nations to conduct its own investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance to prevent a "whitewash" of the crimes.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Robert Mahoney, deputy executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, speaks during a news conference at the United Nations in New York, October 18, 2018. /VCG Photo)