Trump considering legal immunity for Saudi Crown Prince Salman in assassination plot, Khashoggi killing: Report

According to reports, the Trump administration is considering legal immunity for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who has been accused in a US lawsuit of targeting an ex-intelligence officer, including dismissal of the case in which he is accused of being behind the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

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Prince Mohammed bin Salman had earlier asked a US federal court to dismiss a lawsuit which accused him of trying to assassinate an ex-intelligence official. The filing by Saudi lawyers said that "as designated heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed was protected by laws of sovereign immunity."

"This court lacks personal jurisdiction over the Crown Prince," it said.

"The complaint alleges an attempt to kill Aljabri in Canada, directed from Saudi Arabia. None of the scant allegations pertaining to the United States establishes the contacts between the Crown Prince, the United States, and Aljabri's legal claims," it said.

Aljabri had accused Prince Salman of sending a "hit squad" to Canada where he currently resides. Aljabri alleged that the Saudi prince wants him dead since he is close to rival prince and ex-security chief Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

According to reports, the US State Department's directive could mean the dismissial of another lawsuit related to the alleged hack of an al Jazeera news anchor Ghada Ouesis in order to discredit him due to his critical reports on the Crown Prince.

Amid the reports, a New York court ordered US intelligence agencies to acknowledge that they possess a tape recording of the 2018 murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi was killed after his body was dismembered allegedly inside the Kingdom's Istanbul consulate.