Senior Saudi officials were furious over President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of “Project Freedom,” an American operation to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, fearing the move would reignite war in the region, NBC reported Saturday.
According to the report, Washington launched the operation without briefing several key Gulf allies in advance. In response, Saudi Arabia announced it would not allow the U.S. military to operate aircraft from Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh or pass through Saudi airspace to support the mission.
The Saudi threat to the world’s most powerful nation worked. Just 36 hours after the operation began, Trump ordered it halted, and the airspace reopened.
A Middle East source said Saudi Arabia preferred a diplomatic solution but reserves the right to self-defense and supports its Gulf allies’ right to defend themselves as well.
According to the source, the way “Project Freedom” was executed was “dangerous and could have led to escalation,” and Gulf states could have absorbed “catastrophic” attacks. Still, he added that “everything was resolved within hours and was less dramatic than it sounds.”
The White House declined to say if or when the operation would resume, but a senior official said the president is keeping all options on the table. Meanwhile, Washington denied that any restrictions were placed on the United States regarding the operation, saying “the focus is on reaching an agreement.”