What is the story about?
During a private briefing in Washington, DC, the Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid bin Salman (KBS), said that if the US President Donald Trump does not follow through with his threats, the
Iranian regime would end up being stronger, four sources told Axios on Friday.
The remarks from the Saudi defence minister mark a sharp reversal from the country's public topic points cautioning against escalation, and from the deep concern Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) expressed to Trump three weeks ago. Interestingly, that warning was one reason Trump decided to delay a strike.
Another reason why the remark is significant is that KBS is the crown prince's younger brother and closest confidant. The Saudi prince is on a visit to Washington to hold talks on Iran as West Asia braces for American military action, as Tehran has vowed that the response would be "unprecedented".
Earlier this year, Trump ordered a massive US military buildup in the Gulf, though White House officials insist he hasn't made a final decision and is still willing to explore diplomacy. At that time, there were no serious direct negotiations between the US and Iran.
On Thursday, KBS held a lengthy meeting at the White House with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Dan Caine. The main focus of the meeting was the possibility of a US strike in Iran, a source close to the matter told
Axios.
However, Saudi Arabia's public posture has been very cautious. On Wednesday, MBS told Iran's president in a phone call that the kingdom would not allow the US to use its airspace for an attack on Iran. Meanwhile, the Saudis also said in a statement that they respect Iran's sovereignty and seek a diplomatic solution.
As per the report, KBS was less restrained in an hour-long meeting on Friday with 15 think tank experts on the Middle East and representatives from five Jewish organisations. The sources revealed that the Saudi prince thought that Trump would have to take military action after threatening it for weeks, but would also have to try to mitigate the risks of regional escalation. "At this point, if this doesn't happen, it will only embolden the regime," KBS said, according to the sources in the room.
Two sources said they understood KBS to be reflecting the message he'd conveyed at the White House. However, he also said he left that meeting without a clear idea of what the Trump administration's strategy or intentions were on Iran. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the Saudi's navigate the situation.
The remarks from the Saudi defence minister mark a sharp reversal from the country's public topic points cautioning against escalation, and from the deep concern Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) expressed to Trump three weeks ago. Interestingly, that warning was one reason Trump decided to delay a strike.
Another reason why the remark is significant is that KBS is the crown prince's younger brother and closest confidant. The Saudi prince is on a visit to Washington to hold talks on Iran as West Asia braces for American military action, as Tehran has vowed that the response would be "unprecedented".
Earlier this year, Trump ordered a massive US military buildup in the Gulf, though White House officials insist he hasn't made a final decision and is still willing to explore diplomacy. At that time, there were no serious direct negotiations between the US and Iran.
KBS's trip to Washington
On Thursday, KBS held a lengthy meeting at the White House with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Dan Caine. The main focus of the meeting was the possibility of a US strike in Iran, a source close to the matter told
However, Saudi Arabia's public posture has been very cautious. On Wednesday, MBS told Iran's president in a phone call that the kingdom would not allow the US to use its airspace for an attack on Iran. Meanwhile, the Saudis also said in a statement that they respect Iran's sovereignty and seek a diplomatic solution.
As per the report, KBS was less restrained in an hour-long meeting on Friday with 15 think tank experts on the Middle East and representatives from five Jewish organisations. The sources revealed that the Saudi prince thought that Trump would have to take military action after threatening it for weeks, but would also have to try to mitigate the risks of regional escalation. "At this point, if this doesn't happen, it will only embolden the regime," KBS said, according to the sources in the room.
Two sources said they understood KBS to be reflecting the message he'd conveyed at the White House. However, he also said he left that meeting without a clear idea of what the Trump administration's strategy or intentions were on Iran. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the Saudi's navigate the situation.
