Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access

President Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the U.S. military would escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz angered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who denied U.S. access to Saudi airspace and American bases in the country, according to a person briefed by Saudi officials and a U.S. military official.

Prince Mohammed’s action stunned U.S. officials and forced Mr. Trump to abandon his plan, according to a U.S. military official familiar with the sequence of events. The Saudis have since lifted the restrictions on the bases and overflights, but still have not agreed to permit the use of its territory in support of “Project Freedom,” as Mr. Trump named the naval operation, the U.S. official added.

Mr. Trump halted the tanker escort operation on Tuesday, after a flurry of phone calls between Washington and Saudi Arabia, including a call between Mr. Trump and Prince Mohammed. By that evening, Mr. Trump had announced that he had “paused” the operation after less than 24 hours.

Mr. Trump said he was reacting to new “progress” toward a peace agreement with Tehran, although no evidence of a dramatic breakthrough has emerged.

Even if the U.S. disagreement with Riyadh over tanker escorts is resolved, the initial Saudi refusal of support suggests that Mr. Trump’s unpredictable and whipsawing approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies. As recently as mid-March, the de facto Saudi leader was pressing Mr. Trump to continue his bombing campaign against Iran with the goal of bringing down its clerical regime and ridding the kingdom of a longtime adversary, according to people briefed by U.S. officials on the conversations. Saudi officials dispute their accounts.

Prince Mohammed’s calculus has since shifted. Mr. Trump instead agreed to an April cease-fire deal with Iran’s leaders, and Prince Mohammed is now trying to help end the conflict by supporting peace talks through Saudi Arabia’s ally, Pakistan. Iranian officials said on Thursday that Tehran and the United States were discussing a one-page proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities — which flared up again on Thursday — for 30 days while they search for a comprehensive deal that would include matters like Iran’s nuclear program.