Saudi Arabia Fails US 'Freedom Project' to Open Strait of Hormuz

The American network "NBC" said that Saudi Arabia has failed Trump's mission to open the Strait of Hormuz to ships stranded in the Gulf.

Trump surprised his Gulf allies by announcing the "Freedom Project" on social media on Sunday afternoon, according to the officials, which sparked the displeasure of the leadership in Saudi Arabia.

In response, Riyadh told Washington that it would not allow the U.S. military to launch planes from Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh, or fly through Saudi airspace to support the operation, officials said.

A phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the crisis, forcing Trump to suspend the "Freedom Project" in order to restore the U.S. military's access to this vital airspace.

 NBC noted  that "other Gulf allies were also surprised," and that Trump only communicated with Qatari leaders after the process actually began, and also quoted a Saudi source as saying that Trump and bin Salman had been in regular contact and that Saudi Arabia strongly supports Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran, while there has been no official comment from the United States or Saudi Arabia.

Trump justifies his retreat with "diplomatic progress"

Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday (May 6) that the "Freedom Project" was temporarily suspended, citing what he said was significant progress toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

Iranian media denied any progress, stressing that Tehran had not yet responded to the US proposal, which included unacceptable clauses.

The BBC reported that Saudi officials saw the U.S. withdrawal as a sign of weakness, and that the decision reinforced Riyadh's fears of a decline in U.S. commitment to Gulf security.

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries most affected by the decision to withdraw, due to its heavy reliance on the stability of the Strait of Hormuz to secure its oil exports on the one hand, and the United States' use of its bases and air in its war with Iran on the other.

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz. Trump responds with "Freedom Project"

Since the beginning of March 2026, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz by planting naval mines, deploying Revolutionary Guard boats, and imposing a new traffic mechanism that has disrupted navigation by more than 90 percent, disrupting the passage of more than 2,000 commercial ships in the vital corridor.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced at dawn on Monday (May 4th) the launch of the "Freedom Project" in response to the closure of the strait, a maritime operation aimed at escorting commercial ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's near-total closure of the vital corridor.

The announcement on the Truth Social platform came  abruptly and without prior coordination with Gulf allies, as Trump presented the bill as a necessary step to restore freedom of navigation and protect ships belonging to neutral countries that have been affected by the escalating tension in the region.

U.S. forces were scheduled to begin the mission the next day by securing narrow shipping lanes under the threat of Iranian missiles, drones and mines, in an effort to break the naval blockade and restore commercial traffic to the strait, but Trump suspended the project just two days later for what he described as diplomatic reasons.