How the Iran War Ignited a Clash Between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince

Source: NYT

President Trump and his military commanders were in a bind. They had announced the start of a new mission to help guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively closed early in the war. U.S. naval and air power would ward off any Iranian attacks during a tentative cease-fire, the commanders said.

But U.S. Central Command was caught by surprise when officials from Saudi Arabia said American forces could not use the kingdom’s air space for the mission, which the Pentagon was calling Project Freedom. The Americans had not consulted the Saudis.

That set off a flurry of tense and urgent phone calls between Washington and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the leader of Saudi Arabia. An outraged Mr. Trump spoke with him on May 4, the first day of the operation, and on the next two days as well, U.S. officials said.

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The all-hands campaign by the White House to sway Prince Mohammed, which has not previously been reported, and other crucial moments during the war revealed American and Saudi officials becoming increasingly at odds over how to approach security in the region, particularly with regard to Iran and Israel. And more and more, the Saudis see the U.S. government as unreliable and even on occasion a risk to Gulf Arab nations.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/us/politics/trump-saudi-crown-prince-iran.html