Project Freedom: Saudis Feared Trump's Operation Would Resume Iranian Attacks In The Region, Says Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nearly a week after US President Donald Trump made a sudden announcement on May 3 that the US would guide ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, two officials have now told NBC News that the move angered Saudi officials.

The two US officials said that the Saudi officials feared that a surprise move by Trump could spur more Iranian attacks on Gulf allies and reignite the conflict.

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Reports suggested that Trump offered to help ships cross the Strait of Hormuz without notifying its key Gulf allies first. In response, Riyadh informed Washington that it would not allow the US military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or through Saudi airspace to support the effort. As a result, the US President was forced to pause the operation almost 36 hours after it commenced, and the airspace was reopened, the officials added.

Saudi Arabia is in a stronger position than several other Gulf nations because it can continue exporting oil without relying entirely on the Strait of Hormuz. Its 750-mile East-West pipeline connects the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, allowing crude oil to bypass the strategic chokepoint. This gives the kingdom an alternative export route if the strait becomes closed or unsafe for commercial shipping.

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An official noted that the way Project Freedom was to be executed was risky and could have triggered escalation, adding that Washington's Gulf allies could have suffered "catastrophic" strikes.

The official further said that previously, such issues would have been handled with a few phone calls,“but given the world we live in today, the rush to put things out on social media puts things in high focus."

According to one of the officials, the Trump administration is unlikely to resume Project Freedom anytime soon since the concerns of Gulf allies remain.

Additionally, when Gulf and Saudi officials spoke with members of the Trump administration and the US military to express their concerns that the operation might be too risky and to ask how Washington would respond to Iranian aggression over the operation, the US made clear that a peace deal was the primary focus and that it would likely not respond to Iranian strikes on infrastructure in the region.

Also Read | Inside 'Project Freedom,' Trump's aborted bid to reopen the Persian Gulf Project Freedom

Announced on May 3 in a social media post, Project Freedom was the Trump administration's effort to get traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since the US and Israel waged war against Tehran in late February. The operation came after Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely as the two sides continued to work towards a peace deal and ending the war.

The project was, however, paused shortly after. In a Truth Social post, Trump noted that Project Freedom would be“paused for a short period of time to see whether or not” an agreement to resolve the war“can be finalized and signed.”

Project Freedom temporarily provided military surveillance, firepower, and personnel aboard commercial ships to help them safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz and out of the Persian Gulf, as Iranian forces continued threatening and attacking vessels in the strategic waterway. Pentagon officials said the operation was separate from the bombing campaign launched on February 28, which was code-named“Epic Fury.”

Iran's response to Trump's Project Freedom

A day after Trump announced the commencement of the operation, Iran's military warned the United States Navy to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz after the US President said that Washington would“help free up” ships stuck in the Gulf, Al Jazeera reported on May 4.

Also Read | CIA says Tehran can withstand barrier for months amid Gulf clashes

Ali Abdollahi, the head of the Iranian military's unified command, said in a statement on Monday that US forces would be attacked if they entered the strait, and that commercial ships and oil tankers should refrain from moving unless they coordinated with Iran.

Response to Trump's Project Freedom

Shortly after Trump announced the operation, several Gulf allies reached out to the Trump administration and expressed concerns over the possibility of renewed conflict. A phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, the two US officials said, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom to restore US military access to the critical airspace.

Citing a Middle Eastern diplomat, NBC reported that Washington did not coordinate with the Omanis regarding Project Freedom until after the US President made the announcement.

Expressing concerns, Kuwait also said that it would revoke the US military's use of its bases and airspace to support Project Freedom until Trump reversed course.

However, according to White House officials, the US's allies in the Gulf were notified in advance regarding the commencement of the operation.

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