Despite publicly calling for diplomatic solution, Saudi crown prince privately lobbied President Trump for weeks to strike Iran, according to report
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler privately lobbied President Donald Trump for weeks to launch a major air campaign against Iran, despite public calls for both sides to engage in negotiations, The Washington Post reported over the weekend.
The report cited four unnamed sources who said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump on multiple occasions over the past month, urging Trump to back plans for a major air campaign against the Islamic Republic.
According to the report, the combined efforts of bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who used his meetings with Trump earlier this month and at the end of December to advocate for strikes on Iran, helped lead the president to order the US military to join Israel in a massive air campaign on Saturday.