Trump halted the tanker escort operation on Tuesday following a series of phone calls between Washington and Saudi Arabia, including one between Trump and Prince Mohammed. By that evening, Trump announced he had \u201cpaused\u201d the operation after less than 24 hours. Trump stated he was responding to new \u201cprogress\u201d towards a peace agreement with Tehran, though no evidence of a dramatic breakthrough has emerged.
\nEven if the U.S. disagreement with Riyadh over tanker escorts is resolved, Saudi Arabia’s initial refusal of support indicates that Trump’s unpredictable and fluctuating approach to Iran has strained relations with one of his closest allies. As recently as mid-March, the de facto Saudi leader was reportedly urging Trump to continue his bombing campaign against Iran to dismantle its clerical regime and eliminate a long-standing adversary for the kingdom, according to individuals briefed by U.S. officials on the discussions. Saudi officials, however, dispute these accounts.
\nPrince Mohammed’s strategy has since evolved. Trump instead agreed to an April ceasefire deal with Iranian leaders, and Prince Mohammed is now attempting to facilitate an end to the conflict by supporting peace talks via Saudi Arabia’s ally, Pakistan. Iranian officials stated on Thursday that Tehran and the United States were discussing a one-page proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz and cease hostilities \u2014 which re-erupted on Thursday \u2014 for 30 days as they seek a comprehensive agreement encompassing issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.
\nThe source briefed by Saudi officials confirmed that the kingdom had denied U.S. permission for overflights for the tanker mission, which they believed was not adequately planned. Saudi officials also reportedly feared it would have led to an escalation with Iran. NBC News previously reported that Saudi Arabia had suspended U.S. military access to its bases and airspace.
\nEvidence of a growing rift between Trump and Prince Mohammed could embolden Tehran as it seeks leverage in intermittent negotiations with the United States, especially given clear indications that Trump is keen on securing a deal. The Saudi government’s Center for International Communication, which handles media inquiries, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Saudi Embassy in Washington.
\nThe friction arose after Trump announced on Sunday via his Truth Social account that the U.S. military would commence guiding commercial ships through the narrow waterway between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Most maritime traffic through the strait had been halted since Iran began attacking tankers in response to a joint U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign that started in February.
\nTrump initially portrayed the operation as a \u201chumanitarian\u201d mission aimed at freeing ships and crews stranded in the strait for weeks or months, though his rhetoric became more aggressive after the announcement. On Monday, Trump warned he might \u201cwipe Iran off the face of the earth\u201d if it attacked American vessels in the strait.
\nOn Tuesday, Saudi officials informed their U.S. counterparts that their territory or airspace could not be used for the operation, according to a U.S. military official. This rendered the plan unfeasible, as U.S. naval escorts through the strait would necessitate significant air support for protection, including from fighter jets and attack helicopters.
\nIn addition to Trump’s call with Prince Mohammed on Tuesday, an official stated that Marco Rubio, the national security adviser and secretary of state, spoke with his Saudi counterpart. Steve Witkoff, a special U.S. envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, also engaged with the Saudi leadership that day. Trump spoke again with Prince Mohammed on Wednesday.
\nThree individuals frequently in contact with Saudi officials indicated that the incident highlights growing frustration in Riyadh with Trump’s impulsive handling of his confrontation with Iran. Trump has left his strategic objectives ambiguous and his tactics prone to sudden shifts, often surprising U.S. allies.
\nIn his early years, Prince Mohammed adopted a hawkish stance towards Iran, which included a disastrous bombing campaign in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. However, in recent years, he has prioritized diplomacy over military action, and in 2023, Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations with Iran after decades of profound hostility.
\nThis shift reflects Prince Mohammed’s belief that regional stability is vital for his broader economic ambitions, which aim to transform Saudi Arabia into a global hub for business and tourism, according to Saudi officials and analysts.
\nAfter Trump initiated conflict with Iran, Prince Mohammed’s primary interest was a decisive victory against Iran’s regime. Despite the easing of tensions in 2023, Saudi Arabia still views Iran as a threat to its security. Now that it’s apparent the conflict is unlikely to result in regime change, the Crown Prince is eager to conclude it. To expedite an agreement between the two sides, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has been in regular contact with his Iranian counterpart, according to one source close to Saudi officials.
\nHowever, the kingdom remains at risk. Iran has demonstrated a willingness to attack energy facilities and other critical infrastructure across the region. Saudi Arabia has experienced fewer and less damaging attacks compared to other Gulf countries and has been able to reroute the majority of its oil exports through an overland pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. This also implies that the kingdom stands to lose more from an unchecked escalation.
\n#USIranTensions #StraitOfHormuz #SaudiArabia #TrumpAdministration #MiddleEastDiplomacy #TankerEscorts #IranNuclearProgram #RegionalStability #Geopolitics #CeasefireViolations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trump halted the tanker escort operation on Tuesday following a series of phone calls between Washington and Saudi Arabia, including one between Trump and Prince Mohammed. By that evening, Trump announced he had \u201cpaused\u201d the operation after less than 24 hours. Trump stated he was responding to new \u201cprogress\u201d towards a peace agreement with Tehran, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iran-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}