Saudi leaders had discussed assassinating enemies of the state long before a Washington Post journalist was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a report in The New York Times.

The revelation comes days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had shared recordings of Jamal Khashoggi's killing with the U.S. and other western nations.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that intelligence officials in his country have listened to the tapes, adding that he had not.

"Canada has been fully briefed up on what Turkey had to share," Trudeau said at a news conference in Paris. He declined to say what the impact of the tapes might be on relations with the kingdom.

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The Times, citing three sources close to the discussions, said Saudi intelligence officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked a group of businessmen last year about the possibility of using private companies to assassinate Qassim Suleimani, the leader of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The discussions indicate that top Saudi officials have considered assassinations since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s ascent to power, the Times asserts.

Khashoggi disappeared in early October after entering the consulate to obtain documents in preparation for his marriage. Video footage showed Khashoggi entering, but no video ever showed him leaving.

For weeks Saudi Arabia denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's fate, saying he had left the consulate alive. His disappearance and subsequent reports that Khashoggi had been tortured and killed drew international outrage.

The Saudis ultimately revised the story, saying Khashoggi died after a fight that broke out during his interrogation. The regime said 18 people had been arrested in the incident.

Turkish authorities say Khashoggi was strangled to death and his body dismembered soon after he entered the Saudi consulate.