Saudi Arabia Denies Allowing Use of Its Airspace for US Military Operations

Istanbul (ANTARA) - Saudi Arabia has denied allowing its airspace to be used for offensive military operations amid regional tensions related to the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Al Arabiya television station, citing sources, reported that Riyadh is seeking to de-escalate tensions and supports Pakistan’s mediation efforts to reach an agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran. “The Kingdom does not permit the use of its airspace to support offensive military operations. There are parties attempting to provide a misleading picture of Saudi Arabia’s position for suspicious reasons,” the source said. The denial comes after The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday (7/5) that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the use of their bases and airspace by the US military, which were imposed after the launch of US operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Regional tensions have sharply increased since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States then announced a ceasefire effective from 8 April, followed by negotiations mediated by Pakistan, although those talks failed to produce a permanent agreement. Trump subsequently announced an extension of the ceasefire without a deadline, followed by a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since 13 April. On Tuesday, Trump stated that the US military would temporarily halt “Project Freedom”, launched to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while maintaining the full force and effectiveness of the US blockade.