The Trump administration says it has not reached a conclusion on who was involved in the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, despite the CIA's belief that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing.

It's the most definitive U.S. intelligence finding yet linking the de-facto ruler of Saudi Arabia to Khashoggi's assassination, and it complicates President Donald Trump's efforts to maintain ties to one of America's closest Middle East allies.

"We're taking a look at it.

You know we also have a great ally in Saudi Arabia.

// They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development.

And I'm president, I have to take a lot of things into consideration." The CIA report contradicts the Saudi government's claims that the crown prince was not involved in the killing.

A statement from the Saudi embassy in Washington called the claims in the assessment false.

US senators from both sides of the political aisle urged Trump on Saturday to be tough on the crown prince.

Republican Senator Bob Corker tweeting "Everything points to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia..." and that the Trump administration should act before the prince "executes the men who apparently carried out his orders." While Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal tweeted that Trump must accept his intelligence experts' conclusion, and called for "sanctions, prosecution, and removal of the crown prince and others." Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd.

He was a staunch critic of the Saudi government and an American-based columnist for the Washington Post.

Saudi officials have said that a team of 15 Saudi nationals were sent to confront him at the consulate and that he was killed by accident while the group tried to force him to return to the kingdom.

Turkish officials say the killing was deliberate, and have been pressuring the Saudis to extradite those responsible to stand trial in Turkey.