Trump Cancels Project Freedom After Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Refuse to Allow US Use of Their Airspace

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has reportedly pulled out abruptly from the planned “Project Freedom” operation, just two days after the initiative was launched. The suspension of the US Navy’s military operation to escort ships out of the Strait of Hormuz was taken after Washington’s main allies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, blocked access to their military bases and airspace. Only 48 hours after announcing the ship escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, the US leader decided to suspend the project. This suspension is said to provide space for negotiations between Washington and Tehran, following a series of attacks on ships in the Gulf and a missile strike on a port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last Tuesday. The Independent reported that two US officials revealed to NBC News that Trump’s decision to halt the operation was driven by strong protests from Saudi Arabia. Saudi leaders were reportedly furious with the unilateral announcement. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia informed the US that it would not allow American military aircraft to fly through Prince Sultan Air Base, located southeast of the capital Riyadh. Relevant officials stated that the Kingdom also refused access for any US aircraft to cross Saudi airspace as part of “Project Freedom”. A phone conversation is reported to have taken place between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), but the two failed to reach an agreement—a situation that forced the US President to cancel the operation.