Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have reversed course and lifted restrictions on U.S. military use of their bases and airspace, clearing a critical path for the Trump administration to potentially restart 'Project Freedom' — its stalled operation to escort commercial vessels through the Iranian-blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. and Saudi officials, reported that the two Gulf kingdoms lifted the curbs that had been imposed after the launch of the American operation to reopen the strait. The Trump administration is now looking to restart the operation, officials said, with Pentagon officials indicating a timeline of as early as this week.
The reversal ends, at least for now, what became the biggest public rupture in Saudi-American military relations in years. Trump had announced Project Freedom on social media Sunday afternoon, surprising Gulf allies and angering Saudi leadership.
In response, the Kingdom informed Washington it would not allow U.S. military aircraft to fly from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh, or through Saudi airspace to support the effort. A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman failed to resolve the issue, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom, report said.
Saudi officials told the WSJ they pulled access because senior U.S. officials had played down Iranian attacks on the Persian Gulf in reaction to the strait operation, with Gulf states fearing the U.S. wouldn't adequately protect them amid the escalating fighting.
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"Because of geography, you need cooperation from regional partners to utilize their airspace along their borders," one U.S. official said. "In some cases there is no other way around." Saudi Arabia and Jordan are critical for aircraft basing, Kuwait for overflight, and Oman for both overflight and naval logistics.
The diplomatic maneuvering unfolds as Pakistani-mediated talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with the White House awaiting Iran's response to a U.S. proposal.
Trump on Wednesday warned that should Iran reject the terms, strikes would resume at a significantly higher intensity.
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