According to multiple media reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged US President Trump to “continue hitting the Iranians hard” amid the US-Israel war, which has killed over 2,100 people.
The Shia-Sunni rivalry has gone on for decades, and Saudi Arabia is looking for a win. However, Israel hit oil storage tanks in Tehran despite Trump’s warning not to do it. So, Iran turned around and hit Saudi Arabia and the UAE. That could bring Gulf States into the war.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has reportedly been urging US President Donald Trump to “continue hitting the Iranians hard” during frequent direct conversations between the two leaders.
He has a powerful voice behind the scenes.
The advice, according to several officials cited by the NYT, mirrors a longstanding Saudi strategic position. It is almost word-for-word the same guidance that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in 2015, repeatedly gave to Washington: “Cut off the head of the snake.”
White House officials confirmed to the NYT on condition of anonymity that Trump has been talking regularly to Arab leaders throughout the conflict, with MBS being particularly prominent among them. The Saudi crown prince, who effectively runs the kingdom’s foreign and defense policy, has reportedly been among the loudest voices pushing Washington to press forward rather than pull back.
Trump keeps vacillating between “the war will be over soon” and “we need a few more weeks.”
Meanwhile, President Trump wants NATO countries involved.
Where is our off-ramp?
