NYT Report: Prince MBS Urges Trump to Continue Attacks on Iran
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, is reportedly encouraging US President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran. The reason is that the US-Israeli military campaign presents a “historic opportunity” to reshape the Middle East.
This was reported by The New York Times on Tuesday, citing individuals briefed by American officials on the conversation. In a series of conversations over the past week, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has conveyed to Trump that he should seek to destroy Iran’s hardline government, according to people familiar with the discussions.
MBS, according to sources cited by The New York Times, argues that Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by removing the regime. MBS’s position mirrors that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has previously regarded Iran as a long-term threat.
Senior officials in the Saudi and American administrations are concerned that if this conflict drags on, Iran will launch more devastating attacks on Saudi oil facilities, and the United States will become mired in an endless war.
Publicly, Trump has frequently oscillated between suggesting the war will end soon and signalling that it will intensify. On Monday, he posted on social media that his administration and Iran had held “productive talks regarding a comprehensive and total resolution of hostilities,” although Iran denied that negotiations were underway.
The consequences of the war on Saudi Arabia’s economy and national security are immense. Iranian drone and missile attacks, launched in response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, have caused major disruptions in the oil market.
Meanwhile, Saudi officials reject the idea pushed by MBS to prolong the war. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always supported a peaceful resolution to this conflict, even before it began,” the Saudi government said in a statement. They noted that officials “remain in close contact with the Trump administration, and our commitment remains unchanged.”
“Our primary concern at this time is to defend ourselves from daily attacks on our people and civilian infrastructure,” the statement added.