A significant rift has opened between two of America’s oldest allies in the Middle East, according to reporting by The New York Times. Saudi Arabia is understood to have been responsible for the cancellation of Trump’s “Freedom Project” just 48 hours after its launch, over concerns that the initiative could reignite regional conflict. The kingdom’s intervention came despite a series of high-level discussions between White House officials and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, suggesting the depth of disagreement between Washington and Riyadh.
The breakdown in relations is being characterised as unprecedented in the decades-long partnership between the two nations. The revelation underscores growing tensions over US Middle East policy, with Saudi Arabia apparently unwilling to endorse Trump’s latest diplomatic initiative. Sources indicate the kingdom’s leadership feared the project’s implementation could destabilise the region and provoke renewed hostilities.
The crisis became even more apparent when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointedly omitted Saudi Arabia from his recent regional tour—a diplomatic snub that starkly illustrates how far relations have deteriorated. Such a public slight would be unthinkable in the context of the historically close strategic partnership between Washington and Riyadh, which has formed a cornerstone of American Middle East policy for decades.
Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.
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