Trump's Free Plan Suddenly Suspended! Ally Saudi Arabia Furious, Accusing "No Prior Notice," Refuses to Open Airspace

Trump announces suspension of “Operation Freedom” escort mission. Saudi Arabia refuses to allow U.S. military use of bases and airspace, leading to the operation being halted due to lack of regional support.

U.S. President Trump announced the Hormuz Strait escort mission “Operation Freedom,” which was launched less than two days ago, and has now been abruptly called off. Two U.S. officials revealed that the reason was Saudi Arabia’s refusal to allow U.S. forces to use its military bases and airspace, forcing Trump to temporarily suspend the escort operation.

Trump’s “sudden announcement” angers allies, Saudi Arabia closes airspace sparking crisis

According to NBC, last weekend Trump announced on social media the “Operation Freedom,” aiming to use military aircraft to escort and assist merchant ships breaking through Iran’s blockade of the Hormuz Strait. However, it appears this was not fully communicated to Gulf allies beforehand, provoking strong dissatisfaction from Saudi officials. The Saudis notified the U.S., banning the use of Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh and prohibiting overflight of their airspace to support the operation.

Even though Trump later had an emergency call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the disagreement could not be resolved, and he was ultimately forced to announce the plan’s suspension.

Qatar, Oman, and other Gulf allies were also not informed in advance. An Omani diplomat revealed that the U.S. only came to coordinate after announcing the plan: “The U.S. announced first and then communicated with us, but we didn’t feel angry about it.” The White House insists that “regional allies were notified in advance.”

U.S. military involvement in the Middle East seemingly hamstrung? Allies’ airspace and bases become key

This incident highlights the reality that U.S. military operations in the Middle East heavily depend on regional allies. Geographically, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are critical bases for aircraft takeoff and landing, while Kuwait provides an unavoidable overflight corridor. Oman plays a dual role in granting overflight permissions and providing naval logistics.

An American official disclosed that without these permissions, U.S. warplanes cannot provide air cover for ships passing through the strait: “Due to geographic factors, you must cooperate with regional partners to use their border airspace; there’s basically no other way.”

When the plan was halted, two U.S. flagged ships had already successfully passed through the strait, with several other vessels gathering in the Persian Gulf awaiting orders.

Key moment in ceasefire negotiations, Trump pushes for agreement before “Xi-Trump” meeting

On Wednesday, Trump stated on Truth Social that “Operation Freedom” would be paused for a while, awaiting whether the U.S.-Iran agreement could be signed. He also emphasized through the White House that “negotiations over the past 24 hours have been very smooth,” and Iran “is willing to reach an agreement.” He further told PBS that an agreement might be reached before his trip to Beijing next week to meet Xi Jinping.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Tehran is reviewing the latest U.S. peace proposals and will discuss further through intermediary Pakistan. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also visited Tehran this week, urging a quick ceasefire.

Election pressure intensifies, peace talks crucial for Republican retention

With the November midterm elections approaching, Republicans need to hold onto their slim majority in the House and the majority in the Senate, but the ongoing war has become a political burden. A Jordanian official pointed out that Iran’s economic hardship might be the most tangible force driving the negotiations: “Iran can’t sustain its economy; it’s collapsing, and they can’t even pay salaries.”

Currently, U.S. forces in the Gulf region are substantial, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, far exceeding the levels at the outbreak of war on February 28 this year. The escort mission under “Operation Freedom” is separate from the concurrent “Epic Fury” bombing campaign, which has been ongoing since hostilities began.

As progress appears to be made in U.S.-Iran peace talks, global financial markets immediately surged. Oil prices dropped over 7% in a single day, the largest decline in months; the three major U.S. stock indices hit new record highs; the cryptocurrency market also benefited, with Bitcoin reaching a high of $82,850.

• This article is reprinted with permission from: “Chain News”
• Original title: “Trump’s ‘Operation Freedom’ Forced to Halt! Allies Saudi Arabia Furious and Refuse to Open Airspace: No Prior Notification”
• Original author: Crumax