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Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman warned in private briefings in Washington that if United States President Donald Trump does not follow through on his threats against Iran, Tehran’s leadership would emerge stronger, Axios reported on January 30, citing multiple sources.
The American news website said that Khalid bin Salman, a close confidant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, made the remarks amid rising regional tensions and growing speculation about possible U.S. military action against Iran.
Since the start of the month, Trump has repeatedly threatened military action if Iran killed protesters or carried out mass executions of prisoners.
Khalid bin Salman’s comments marked a shift from Saudi Arabia’s public stance, which has emphasized restraint and warned against escalation.
Three weeks ago, the crown prince reportedly urged Trump to avoid military action, citing the risk of a broader regional conflict.
The Saudi defense minister held a meeting on January 29 at the White House with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, according to Axios.
Sources told the website that discussions focused primarily on the possibility of a U.S. strike on Iran, but noted that bin Salman left the meeting without a clear understanding of the Trump administration’s strategy or intentions.
In a separate closed-door briefing with think tank experts and representatives from Jewish organizations, the Saudi minister reportedly said that failing to act militarily after weeks of threats would “embolden the regime” in Tehran, while acknowledging the need to manage the risk of regional escalation.
A separate report from Fox News that was published on the same day revealed that Saudi Arabia was still against allowing the U.S. to use its territory to attack Iran.
A high-ranking government figure from a Gulf Cooperation Council state told tv networks that the “U.S. hasn’t shared objectives or plans” regarding Iran with Gulf allies.
“We said this as friends, [we] want to make sure they understand our position and our assessment in general. And we want to understand the U.S. assessment with as much clarity as possible,” the senior official said. “I’d like to get full clarity, and we did not get there.”
Regarding U.S. military movements for a strike on Iran, the official said, “The plan is something other than using Saudi airspace.”
“Saudi Arabia wouldn’t allow airspace to be used to target Israel, Houthis, Iran. The position is the same now. Saudi Arabia wouldn’t allow airspace to be used in a war Saudi Arabia is not a part of,” the official said.
The shift in the Saudi stance may be linked to a major air defense deal for Saudi Arabia that was announced right after Khalid bin Salman’s visit.
The Pentagon announced that the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of Patriot interceptor missiles and related equipment to the kingdom for an estimated cost of $9 billion.
The principal contractor for the sale of the missiles — Patriot advanced capability-3 missile segment enhancement missiles — will be Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon said in a statement, adding that the State Department approval followed a request by Saudi Arabia to buy 730 PAC-3 MSE missiles.
The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East reached a new peak over the past week with the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group.
Trump said on January 31 that the U.S. has directly communicated expectations to Iran. Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, he suggested the timeline had been conveyed privately.
“Only they know for sure,” he said when pressed that the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.
Washington has sent some serious demands to Tehran, according to several recent reports, including a permanent end to Iran’s uranium enrichment, new limits on its ballistic missile program, and a stop to its support for regional proxy forces. The Islamic Republic agreed to hold talks only on its nuclear program.
Overall, it appears that the Trump administration has made the decision to attack Iran, or at least it is in a position where it can no longer back down without securing major concessions from the Islamic Republic. Saudi Arabia is likely just attempting to appease both sides to make sure the upcoming war won’t reach its territories.
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saudi copulates w americunt transgenders
taking into account what trump revealed and the testimony of the venezuelan guard, it is safe to assume that the u.s. military employed multiple systems at the same time to facilitate its operation in caracas. attributing all of these effects to a single system is unrealistic.
.…………………………… https://psee.io/8jqu9r
mbs – last week’s wheelie bin that the garbage collector overlooked.
(prawn shells and all)