New Delhi: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spoken to US President Donald Trump by phone, expressing concern about the US military’s plans for a new large-scale offensive against Iran.
Two US officials and a source familiar with the phone call confirmed the conversation. The source told Axios, “Saudi Arabia has expressed serious concern about the US planning and has demanded clarification on the entire plan.”
In response to the Iranian missile attack on a US military base in Jordan and the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is adopting a very tough stance. He is considering a major attack on Iranian energy facilities in the coming days.
A second source familiar with the conversation said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Trump to halt the attacks. The White House and the Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump met with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman. According to sources, during a meeting with Vice President JD Vance, the Saudi Defense Minister expressed his support for resolving the issue with Iran and reducing tensions .
Iran
has threatened to retaliate against energy and infrastructure facilities in Israel and Gulf countries if the US attacks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Saturday.
According to a statement released on his Telegram channel, Araghchi told the Saudi foreign minister, “Iran’s armed forces will give a strong and equal response to any action by the US or Israel or the involvement of regional countries in it.”
Qatar is trying to mediate.
It should be noted that Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, and Pakistan, are pressuring the US and Iran to prevent a war in the Middle East. On Saturday, Qatar held separate talks with the Iranian foreign minister, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and Omani officials to reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.