The US President Donald Trump suspended Operation Freedom after Washingtonʼs allies in the region restricted access of American military personnel to their bases and airspace.
NBC News reports this, citing sources.
Trump announced the launch of the project on social media on May 3 without warning Gulf allies. In response, Saudi Arabia told the United States that it would not allow the use of Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh and Saudi airspace to support the operation.
A phone call between Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman failed to resolve the dispute, forcing the US president to put the operation on hold.
Other US allies in the region also learned about the operation after it was announced. In particular, the leaders of Qatar and Oman were informed about it after it began.
At the same time, the White House stated that the allies were allegedly warned in advance. The American military had already prepared additional ships for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and the US Central Command reported that two ships under the American flag had already passed the route as part of the project.
Trump said on May 6 that Operation Freedom was temporarily suspended at the request of Pakistan and other countries, as well as due to "significant progress" in negotiations on a possible deal with Iran.
According to NBC News, American fighter jets, tanker aircraft and air defense systems stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base were to provide protection for ships as they passed through the strait. Therefore, the United States is critically dependent on alliesʼ permission to base and fly aircraft over the region.
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