BackWORLD
Saudi Defiance Led Trump to Halt 'Project Freedom' in Hormuz: A Timeline
The article outlines how Saudi Arabia and Kuwait’s refusal to allow U.S. warplanes to use bases or airspace led to shelving Trump’s 'Project Freedom' in the Strait of Hormuz. A Wednesday-night phone call between Trump and Crown Prince MBS lifted the hurdle, paving the way for a potential restart, while Iran conducted retaliatory strikes and the U.S. asserted military responses amid a fragile ceasefire.
Why It Matters
The timeline shows how Gulf allies can constrain or enable U.S. military plans, and highlights the fragility of regional diplomacy as Tehran’s actions provoke further tension and risk of escalation.
Timeline
8 Events
U.S. response to Iranian strikes and continued ceasefire
May 8, 2026
The Trump administration said it shot down drones and missiles and sank six small Iranian boats, as the aggression threatened the fragile month-long ceasefire; Trump downplayed it as a 'love tap' and said the truce remained in place.
Iranian attacks on ships and drones launched
May 8, 2026
Iranian forces attacked three American naval ships and merchant vessels as drones and fast-attack boats were deployed against commercial ships.
Iranian retaliation after Hormuz transit effort
May 8, 2026
Soon after the United States launched an effort to transit ships through Hormuz, Tehran launched over a dozen airstrikes on the UAE; an oil facility in Fujairah was set ablaze, injuring three Indians working there.
Pakistan mediation support and Hormuz reopening stance
May 8, 2026
Saudi Arabia joined other Arab states in backing Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi caution and push for a diplomatic resolution
May 8, 2026
Saudi Arabia expressed caution about Trump’s approach, desiring a permanent end to the US-Israel war on Iran and worrying about Trump’s unpredictability and lack of coherent goals; Riyadh urged a diplomatic solution and supported Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Restart of operation considered; Pentagon timeline outlined
May 8, 2026
The arrangement paves the way for the Trump administration to restart the operation to guide commercial ships with naval and air support, with Pentagon officials telling The Wall Street Journal that a timeline of as early as this week was possible.
Phone call lifts the hurdle between Trump and MBS
May 6, 2026
In a phone call on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman resolved the issue, lifting the hurdle to restarting the operation.
Project shelved due to refusals by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
May 6, 2026
New developments indicate the project was shelved because the United States' Gulf allies, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, refused to allow American warplanes to use their bases or airspace in the operation.