Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the U.S. military’s use of their bases and airspace imposed after the start of the American operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. and Saudi officials, removing a hurdle that had tripped up President Trump’s effort to move ships through the vital waterway.
The Trump administration is now looking to restart the operation to guide commercial ships with naval and air support that it had paused after 36 hours this week, U.S. officials said. It isn’t clear when that could happen though Pentagon officials gave a timeline of as early as this week.
The U.S. operation to force open the strait relied on an enormous fleet of aircraft to protect commercial ships from Iranian missiles and drones, making Saudi and Kuwaiti bases and airspace critical to its execution.
But the mission set off the biggest dispute in Saudi-American military relations in recent years, triggering a spate of high-level phone calls between Trump and the kingdom’s crown prince and raising the risk of a breakdown of a security deal between Washington and Riyadh.
Ootl. What was the reason given by ksa about why they disagreed with the us action in the first place? Seems like theyd want free flow through the straits.
How would you respond if your neighbor was allowing someone from out of town to use his house to harass you? Would you be cool about it or would you try to retaliate later? The US made is crystal clear in March that they have zero intention of protecting the Gulf Monarchies from Iranian missile strikes, so those countries do not want the US using their resources to attack Iran.
I makes them a target for Iran’s drones.its not that they disagreed. Its that they didn’t feel safe.
