Media: Saudi Arabia refuses to assist U.S. in Project Freedom operation

Saudi Arabia has refused to support the United States in the Project Freedom operation to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington did not inform the kingdom of its initiative in advance.

This was reported by NBC News, citing two unnamed representatives of the American administration. According to the channel, the announcement of the operation's launch, made by U.S. President Donald Trump on the social network Truth Social, caught the Gulf countries off guard and 'angered the leadership of Saudi Arabia.'

As a retaliatory measure, Riyadh informed Washington that it would not allow American military personnel to take off from Prince Sultan Air Base and would prohibit the use of its airspace. A subsequent phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, as noted by NBC News, failed to rectify the situation. Following this, the American leader was forced to put the operation on pause.

On May 5, the head of the White House stated that the U.S. had decided to suspend the operation to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz until information is received that negotiations regarding a deal with Iran could be successfully concluded and an agreement reached.

Source: TASS