President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to pause “Project Freedom” — a US-led effort to help commercial ships safely transit the Strait of Hormuz — came after Saudi Arabia restricted American military access to its bases and airspace, according to a report by NBC News citing two US officials.
The report said over the weekend caught key Gulf allies off guard, particularly Saudi Arabia.
According to NBC News, Saudi authorities informed Washington that the US military would not be allowed to operate aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase near Riyadh or use Saudi airspace to support the mission.
The restrictions reportedly created major logistical complications for the operation, which relied heavily on regional overflight permissions and military coordination.
Trump-MBS call failed to resolve dispute
The news outlet reported that Trump held a phone call with in an attempt to resolve the issue.
However, according to the report, the conversation failed to produce a breakthrough, forcing the Trump administration to temporarily suspend in order to preserve broader US military access in the region.
A Saudi source quoted by the outlet said Trump and the crown prince “have been in touch regularly,” adding that Saudi officials also remained engaged with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and US Central Command officials.
When asked whether had been surprised by the announcement, the source said: “The problem with that premise is that things are happening quickly in real time.”
The source also reportedly stated that Saudi Arabia remained “very supportive of the diplomatic efforts” led by Pakistan to broker negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Gulf allies reportedly caught off guard
The news outlet reported that other Gulf allies, including Qatar and Oman, were also not fully briefed before the operation began.
A Middle Eastern diplomat told NBC News that the United States only coordinated with Oman after Trump publicly announced Project Freedom.
“The U.S. made an announcement and then coordinated with us,” the diplomat said, adding: “We were not upset or angry.”
The White House disputed suggestions that allies had been blindsided.
A White House official said in a statement: “Regional allies were notified in advance.”
Trump later spoke with Qatar’s emir after the operation had already started. According to a Qatari statement cited by the news report, the leaders discussed maritime security, global supply chains and the importance of de-escalation.
US military had already begun operation
Before the pause was announced, US Central Command said two American-flagged ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz under the protection of Project Freedom.
NBC News reported that the US military had begun positioning additional naval assets in the Gulf to support the effort before the operation was halted roughly 36 hours after launch.
According to one US official quoted: “Because of geography, you need cooperation from regional partners to utilize their airspace along their borders.”
The official added that military aircraft were critical to protecting ships during transit operations, effectively providing a defensive shield against Iranian threats.
The US military continues to maintain a large regional presence, including fighter aircraft, refueling tankers and air defense systems stationed at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia.
Trump signals diplomatic opening with Iran
And, in a social media post on Wednesday, Trump said Project Freedom would be “paused for a short period of time” to determine whether a broader agreement to end the conflict with Iran could be finalized.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said: “They want to make a deal.”
He added there had been “very good talks over the last 24 hours.”
Iran is now reviewing a new US-backed peace proposal, with Pakistan acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman told Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency that Tehran was assessing the proposal before further discussions.
Trump also told PBS that he hoped an agreement could be reached before his upcoming trip to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I think it’s got a very good chance of ending, and if it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them,” Trump said.
China urges ceasefire as tensions persist
China also stepped into the diplomatic effort this week.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian officials on Wednesday and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei rejected the latest US proposal in a social media post, calling it a “wish list until it becomes a reality.”
