U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden reversal on the plan to help ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, came after Saudi Arabia suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace for the operation, two U.S. officials told NBC.
According to the officials, Trump surprised Gulf allies when he announced Project Freedom on his Truth Social platform, angering the Saudi leadership. In response, Saudi Arabia informed the United States that it would not allow the U.S. military to operate aircraft from Prince Sultan Air Base, southeast of Riyadh, or cross Saudi airspace to support the operation.
A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the crisis, the two U.S. officials said, forcing the president to halt the project in order to restore the U.S. military’s access to vital airspace. Other close Gulf allies also were surprised by the move, with Trump speaking to Qatar’s leaders only after the effort was already underway.
A Saudi official told NBC that Trump and the crown prince “are in regular contact.” The official said Saudi officials also had been in contact with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Central Command and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Asked whether the Project Freedom announcement surprised Saudi leaders, the official said: “The problem with that premise is that things are happening quickly and in real time.” The official said Saudi Arabia “strongly supports” Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to mediate an agreement between Iran and the United States to end the war.
The White House rejected claims that the announcement surprised some Gulf leaders. A White House official said in response that “regional allies were briefed in advance.” However, a Middle Eastern diplomat said the United States did not coordinate the plan with Oman before Trump’s announcement. “The United States issued a statement — and then coordinated with us,” the diplomat said, adding: “We were not upset or angry.”
Trump announced the operation Sunday night, Israel time, as a way to break the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. His senior national security officials spent much of Tuesday promoting the move in public briefings at the Pentagon and the White House, but the president abruptly halted it about 36 hours after it began.
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