Play store
US-Saudi ties have hit a rough patch over Washington’s war with Iran, with officials saying the US is now considering pulling troops out of the Gulf kingdom, according to a _Wall Street Journal_ report confirmed by a regional intelligence source.
Riyadh initially refused a US request to use Saudi bases and airspace for “Project Freedom,” a plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Without Saudi support, the US aborted the mission.
Infuriated, the White House threatened to withhold missile interceptors Riyadh uses against Iranian drones and missiles, US and Arab officials told the _Journal_. Saudi Arabia later reversed course and the operation resumed covertly, but trust had already eroded.
Tensions deepened last week when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, but skipped Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh saw as a snub. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also declined an invite to a G7 summit in France attended by President Donald Trump.
Saudi Arabia had urged Trump not to strike Iran, warning Tehran could close the Strait of Hormuz and destabilize energy markets. After initial reluctance, the kingdom and other Gulf states allowed US use of bases as Iran’s retaliatory strikes hit the region. Iran later targeted energy sites in Saudi Arabia, pushing Riyadh to seek de-escalation.
Riyadh also clashed with the UAE over continued Emirati strikes on Iran and pressed Washington to ease a blockade of Iranian ports. Trump only agreed after a ceasefire deal last month.
The US is now reviewing its military footprint in Saudi Arabia as both sides try to manage fallout from the war, the _Journal_ reported.
