US President Donald Trump halted the naval operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia told the United States it wouldn’t allow American aircraft taking part involved in the effort to take off from or fly through the Gulf kingdom’s skies, NBC News reports. Citing US officials, the report says the Saudis and other Gulf states were surprised by Trump’s announcement of Project Freedom on Sunday, adding that the US president later spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the matter but was unable to reach a resolution.
Asked by the network if the operation caught Saudi leaders off guard, a source from the kingdom tells NBC that “the problem with that premise is that things are happening quickly in real time.” The source also says Saudi Arabia is “very supportive of the diplomatic efforts” by Pakistan to broker an agreement between the US and Iran.
A White House spokesperson says “regional allies were notified in advance,” though a Middle Eastern diplomat quoted by NBC says the US didn’t coordinate with Oman until after Trump’s announcement. “The US made an announcement and then coordinated with us,” the diplomat says, adding, “we were not upset or angry.” (Source)
