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During the US’s Operation Epic Fury against Iran and before the ongoing temporary US-Iran ceasefire, Saudi Arabia allowed the US to fly aircraft from the Prince Sultan Airbase.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause a US operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz came as a result of pressure from Saudi Arabia, according to an NBC News report citing two US officials.
According to the officials, the US’s allies among the Gulf states were surprised by Trump’s Sunday announcement of Project Freedom, which was launched on Monday.
Saudi Arabian leadership informed the US that it would not allow US military aircraft to fly from the Saudi Prince Sultan Airbase or through Saudi airspace to carry out the effort to escort stranded vessels out of the strait, the report continued.
rump attempted to resolve the issue with a call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to no avail, the officials stated. Trump was then forced to halt the effort in order to regain US military access to the strategically critical airspace.
During the US’s Operation Epic Fury against Iran and before the ongoing temporary US-Iran ceasefire, Saudi Arabia allowed the US to fly aircraft from the Prince Sultan Airbase, at which the US military maintains fighter aircraft and air defenses.
One US official emphasized the importance of Saudi cooperation on operations in the area, telling NBC that due to the geography of the region, in some cases, utilizing an ally’s airspace is the only option.
Military aircraft were used to provide a defensive umbrella to ships attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom, something that could not be achieved without the necessary airspace permissions.
