According to an NBC News report citing two U.S. officials, President Donald Trump has halted a naval initiative to escort merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The pause reportedly follows significant pushback from Saudi Arabia.The mission, dubbed “Project Freedom,” was introduced by the Trump administration to navigate commercial vessels through the volatile waterway during a precarious ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
This ceasefire followed a major American military offensive known as “Operation Epic Fury.”The report suggests that Gulf partners were blindsided by the sudden announcement of the project.
In response, Saudi leadership notified Washington that U.S. military planes would be barred from using the Prince Sultan Airbase or Saudi airspace to support the escort missions.
Despite a personal phone call from Trump to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman intended to smooth over the disagreement, the U.S. failed to win over the Saudis.
Confronted with the loss of essential flight paths, the President chose to suspend the operation.
This friction highlights a deepening divide between the U.S. and its regional allies regarding how to handle Iran, even though the two nations recently collaborated during “Operation Epic Fury,” when Saudi Arabia permitted the use of its bases for American fighter jets and defense systems.