NYT: MBS Urges Trump to Continue War on Iran

By Staff, Agencies 

New York Times revealed that Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been pushing US President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, arguing that the US-“Israeli” aggression presents a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East, according to people briefed by American officials on the conversations.

In a series of conversations over the last week, MBS has conveyed to Trump that he must press toward the destruction of Iran’s government, the people familiar with the conversations said.

MBS, the people familiar with the discussions said, has claimed that “Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by getting rid of the government.”

But senior officials in both the Saudi and American governments worry that if the conflict drags on, Iran could deliver ever more punishing attacks on Saudi oil installations and the United States could be stuck in an endless war.

Saudi officials rejected the idea that Prince Mohammed has pushed to prolong the war.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always supported a peaceful resolution to this conflict, even before it began,” the Saudi government said in a statement, noting that officials “remain in close contact with the Trump administration and our commitment remains unchanged.”

“Our primary concern today is to defend ourselves from the daily attacks on our people and our civilian infrastructure,” the government added. “Iran has chosen dangerous brinkmanship over serious diplomatic solutions. This harms every stakeholder involved but none more than Iran itself.”

Analysts familiar with Saudi government thinking say that while MBS probably preferred to avoid a war, he is concerned that if Trump pulls back now, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East will be left to confront an emboldened and furious Iran on their own.

In this view, they say, a half-finished offensive would expose Saudi Arabia to frequent Iranian attacks. Such a scenario could also leave Iran with the power to periodically close the Strait of Hormuz.