US President Donald Trump's decision to halt the ship escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz reportedly stemmed from pressure from Saudi Arabia, which refused to allow the use of its airspace and military bases for the mission.
According to an NBC News report citing two US officials, Washington's allies in the Gulf region were surprised by the announcement of the operation known as "Project Freedom" that Trump announced on Sunday and began implementing on Monday.
Saudi Arabia reportedly informed the US that they would not allow American military aircraft to take off from Prince Sultan Air Base or use the country's airspace to conduct operations to escort ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.
The report also stated that Trump tried to resolve the issue by contacting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but the efforts failed to reach an agreement.
As a result, Trump was forced to halt the operation to avoid greater disruption to US military strategic access in the Middle East region.
Previously, during the US military operation against Iran and before the US-Iran temporary ceasefire was reached, Saudi Arabia allowed American military aircraft to use Prince Sultan Air Base to support air defense operations and fighter jet maintenance.
In “Project Freedom”, US military aircraft were used to provide air cover for ships trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz, but the operation could not continue without permission to use Saudi airspace.
Saudi sources also informed that the palace and senior officials of the country are constantly in contact with the Trump administration, including US Vice President, JD Vance, CENTCOM and US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
Saudi Arabia, however, is reported to be more supportive of the diplomatic efforts being made by Pakistan to help the US and Iran reach an agreement to end the conflict in the region.
A White House official also stressed that regional allies were informed in advance of the operation, but a Middle Eastern diplomat claimed that the US only began coordinating with Oman after the announcement was made.
