Trump reversed Hormuz plan after Saudis denied airspace access
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US President Donald Trump halted the tanker escort operation on May 5, after a flurry of phone calls between Washington and Saudi Arabia.
PHOTO: AFP
Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Vivian Nereim
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s announcement on May 3 that the US military would escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz angered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who denied US access to Saudi airspace and American bases in the country, according to a person briefed by Saudi officials and a US military official.
Crown Prince Mohammed’s action stunned US officials and forced Mr Trump to abandon his plan, according to a US military official familiar with the sequence of events.
