Trump Halted Strait of Hormuz Move After Gulf Backlash

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump abruptly paused “Project Freedom,” a US-announced operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after key Gulf allies objected and limited American military access, according to reports.

The report said, citing two US officials, that Saudi Arabia suspended the US military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to support the operation after Trump publicly announced the initiative without prior coordination with regional allies.

The report said the surprise announcement angered Saudi leadership, prompting Riyadh to inform Washington that US aircraft would not be permitted to operate from Prince Sultan Air Base or transit Saudi airspace in support of the mission.

According to the report, a subsequent phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman failed to resolve the dispute, forcing the US president to suspend the operation in order to restore military access to vital regional airspace.

The report added that other Gulf allies were also reportedly surprised by the announcement, including Qatar and Oman, with a diplomat saying Washington coordinated with Muscat only after Trump publicly unveiled the operation.

A White House official denied that allies were blindsided, stating that “regional allies were notified in advance.”

Saudi sources cited by NBC acknowledged ongoing contacts between Riyadh and Washington, including discussions involving Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Central Command.

The Saudi source added that Riyadh strongly supports diplomatic mediation efforts led by Pakistan to end the war between Iran and the United States.

The report highlighted the extent to which US military operations in the region depend on Gulf states for access, basing, and overflight permissions.

US officials said military aircraft were crucial to providing a defensive umbrella for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during “Project Freedom,” with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman described as key to sustaining regional air operations and logistics.

The US had begun positioning naval assets near the Gulf, and US Central Command said two US-flagged ships transited the Strait under “Project Freedom” before it was halted.

Trump later said the operation would be “paused for a short period” to assess prospects for an agreement with Iran.

Trump claimed Wednesday that recent talks with Iran had been productive, saying there had been “very good talks over the last 24 hours” and expressing optimism that a deal could still be reached before his upcoming visit to China.

At the same time, the US president warned that if diplomacy fails, Washington may “go back to bombing the hell out of them,” according to remarks made during an interview with PBS.

Iranian officials, however, rejected claims that an agreement is imminent. Ebrahim Rezaei described the latest US proposal as a “wish list”, warning that Tehran remains prepared to respond forcefully to any renewed military action.

Trump said talks with Iran were “very good” and a deal could still be reached, but warned the US could “go back to bombing the hell out of them” if diplomacy fails.

Iran rejected progress, with Ebrahim Rezaei calling the US proposal a “wish list” and warning of a response to any attack.