NBC News, citing two U.S. officials, reported May 6 that Trump abruptly reversed his plan to support ships passing through the strait after core Gulf partners withdrew permission for U.S. forces to use their bases and airspace for the mission.
According to the report, Trump announced Project Freedom over the weekend on Truth Social as a way to break Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement was made without sufficient prior coordination with some Gulf allies and drew objections from Saudi Arabia’s leadership, the officials said.
Saudi Arabia notified the United States that it would not allow U.S. aircraft to launch from Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh or permit flights through Saudi airspace to support the operation, the officials said. The issue was not resolved despite a call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Trump had to pause the operation to regain access to critical airspace, the officials said.
Project Freedom was designed to use U.S. military power to help ensure safe passage for ships if Iran threatened or attacked vessels transiting the strait. U.S. forces planned to provide surveillance assets, firepower and boarding teams to protect ships leaving the Persian Gulf. U.S. Central Command previously said two U.S.-flagged ships transited the strait as part of the operation.
About 36 hours after the operation began, Trump ordered it halted. He said the pause would be brief to determine whether an agreement could be finalized and signed.
U.S. military operations depend on Middle East allies
Saudi cooperation is considered essential for U.S. operations. Prince Sultan Air Base hosts U.S. fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft and air defense assets. One U.S. official told NBC News that for geographic reasons, using airspace along borders requires cooperation from regional partners and, in some cases, there is no alternative.
NBC said military aircraft were expected to provide a “defensive umbrella” to protect ships during Project Freedom. Saudi Arabia and Jordan are important for basing aircraft, Kuwait for overflight, and Oman for overflight and naval logistics support. Analysts said that without adequate prior coordination with Gulf allies, any military operation tied to the Strait of Hormuz would be constrained.
A Middle Eastern diplomat said the United States coordinated with Oman only after Trump’s announcement. “The U.S. coordinated with us after it made the announcement,” the diplomat said, adding, “We were not angry or furious.”
A Saudi source, asked whether the announcement surprised Saudi leaders, said, “The issue is that everything is moving fast in real time.”
The White House said regional allies were notified in advance. A White House official, asked whether some Gulf states were not informed beforehand, said, “Regional allies were notified in advance.”
The pause also comes as talks on ending the war between the United States and Iran regain momentum. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it is reviewing a new U.S. peace proposal and will discuss it with mediator Pakistan after completing its assessment. Trump said, “They want a deal,” and claimed there had been “very good talks” over the past 24 hours.
In a PBS interview, Trump said a deal with Iran could be reached before he travels to Beijing for a meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I think there’s a very good chance it will end. And if it doesn’t end, we have to go back and bomb them like hell,” he said.
Iranian hard-liners have warned against the U.S. proposal. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s parliament National Security Committee, wrote on X that the latest proposal is a wish list until it becomes reality and said, “The U.S. will not obtain through a failed war what it did not obtain in direct negotiations.”
Still, some in the region said diplomacy remains the likelier outcome. A Jordanian official told NBC News, “Iran does not have the economic means to keep this going,” adding, “The economy is collapsing and it cannot even pay wages.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.