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News & Current Events May 8, 2026 at 10:13 PM

Saudis feared Trump’s Project Freedom would spur Iran to attack, officials say

Posted by Oz-Wanderer


Saudis feared Trump’s Project Freedom would spur Iran to attack, officials say
NBC News
Saudis feared Trump’s Project Freedom would spur Iran to attack, officials say
Washington launched the operation without notifying key Gulf allies first, U.S. officials tell NBC News. Then Trump abruptly canceled it.

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thecloakofignorance 4 days ago +261
This suggests two things At best, the USA planned a hugely complex operation without telling their allies who have real skin in the game More likely, there was no plan, just a demented idiot putting out a tweet in the early hours
261
VanCityPhotoNewbie 4 days ago +20
The Saudi's closed airspace to US military aircraft for an Iran offensive....which is huge. [Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/us/politics/trump-strait-of-hormuz-saudis.html)
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Garlic_Coin 4 days ago +31
They specifically moved 2 US flagged tankers out of the straight during the operation. then stopped. So that was likely their goal. The US doesn't really care about other countries oil being stuck, because then those countries have to buy oil from the US instead. They do however care about their own tankers being stuck, which is why they freed them specifically.
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fec2245 4 days ago +59
They weren't tankers and anyway that's not how the oil market works.
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U_Sound_Stupid_Stop 4 days ago +4
Explain that to trump
4
fec2245 4 days ago +22
Just because Trump is dumb doesn't mean you have to be.
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U_Sound_Stupid_Stop 4 days ago +4
Again, I'm not the one who thinks that, trump is and he's the one shaping the policies of the US. I feel like that's a problem but I guess not to you since you downvoted me and called me dumb for pointing out the US president is ignorant. Though you'll obviously claim you didn't just did what you did.
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fec2245 4 days ago +14
/u/garlic_coin said something factual incorrect and also demonstrated he doesn't understand how the oil market functions. I pointed out his error. You said "Explain that to Trump" I explained that I agreed Trump was dumb but that isn't really relevant to my post. Hope that helps because you're clearly confused by the conversation.
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U_Sound_Stupid_Stop 4 days ago -10
Yes, and if you don't see how my comment applies to yours, then clearly you're the one confused. You pointed out their error, which is the same one trump's admin is making. So, yeah, someone definitely should tell them. Hope that helps.
-10
fec2245 4 days ago +16
I hate Trump, I phone banked for his opponents twice and voted against him three times. People like you are so obnoxious. Not as bad as /u/garlic_coin but not far off. You add absolutely nothing to the conversation, you aren't trying to convince anyone. You're just mad that I pointed out someone was wrong without adding "but also Trump is bad" at the end of my post.
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U_Sound_Stupid_Stop 4 days ago -7
I wasn't trying to convince anyone, I was making an offhand diss at trump and you decided to take it personally lmao And it's kind of weird to claim you campaigned for his opponents while concluding your comment with an "orange man bad"... Next you're going to accuse me of having TDS? Of being a woke liberal?
-7
goperit 4 days ago +11
Oh yeah? What was the name of these two US flagged tankers? I have yet to see that basic info provided.
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IncidentalApex 4 days ago +2
You would think the captains and crew would be all over the news thanking Trump. Starting to think this never happened.
2
YakResident_3069 4 days ago +1
Did they wear a suit when thanking him?
1
Disused_Yeti 4 days ago +1
with tears in their eyes
1
thecloakofignorance 4 days ago -24
That absolutely was not the goal. The goal was to ensure free passage for all. This was explicitly stated.
-24
silentbargain 4 days ago +7
I am, as the expert and authority on this, explicitly stating that you smell like dog breath
7
Available_Finger_513 4 days ago +15
This administration should be assumed to be lying until proven otherwise.
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Thurak0 4 days ago +29
> This was explicitly stated. People can lie.
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bobbycorwin123 4 days ago +7
Only liberals lie.  Everyone knows that /s
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MikeisET 4 days ago +2
Kind of like how it was before USA attacked Iran?
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samdave69 4 days ago +1
Maybe a combination of both
1
JarvisModeOn 4 days ago +33
Launching something this sensitive without properly coordinating with regional allies first seems like a huge gamble, especially when those countries would be dealing with the fallout if things escalated.
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Ian_W 4 days ago +24
Everyone involved in this operation needs to be fired. Starting with the Commander In Chief.
24
JarvisModeOn 4 days ago +4
These kinds of decisions are usually more complex than just one person making that call
4
Ian_W 4 days ago +15
Which is why the firings need to go broad and deep. This military operation has seen 1. the biggest loss for the USAF since WW2, with the loss of an AWACs aircraft on the ground, 2. The utter destruction of the US diplomatic position in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia cancelling US access to their airspace, and 3. The expenditure of between much and most of the US's precision strike and anti-missile assets for no good result - if the US is *successful* with its demands on Iran, then we get back to the exact position we were at before the war, with an open strait and an Iran that is not building a nuclear bomb but has the capability to quickly do so. 4. A 50/50 chance of China becoming the guarantor of the Gulf. A Chinese naval base in Bander Abbas is absolutely a possibility at the end of this misguided, badly done complete SNAFU.
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YokoDk 4 days ago +5
Biggest loss in which way? Total value?
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Ian_W 4 days ago +6
Biggest impact on total warfighting capability.
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Ecsta 3 days ago +1
How so? What nation on earth wasn't capable of fighting the US before, is now capable of fighting them?
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championchilli 4 days ago +14
Saying that MBS needs to kiss his ass direct to the SA public probably didn't engender too much good will from the saudis either.
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Environmental-Cold24 4 days ago +22
Actually I think they thought that Trump wasnt taking their concerns seriously, and wanted him to attack directly.
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PoliticsIsDepressing 4 days ago +9
Fairly certain you are correct. They want Trump to keep attacking Iran directly.
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HoneyBadger552 4 days ago +11
Saudi Arabia is clearly running out of anti air munitions
11
Exact_Patience_9767 4 days ago +39
You finally catching up on that, Saudi Princes? He doesn't care, you're all expandable. The only d*** Trump takes in the middle east is Netanyahu's.
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sonic_couth 4 days ago +10
Is Netanyahu’s d*** expandable?
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IAMA_Plumber-AMA 4 days ago +7
Of course, Trump only cares about Trump.
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Gygax_the_Goat 3 days ago +2
Circumcised, perfumed, and full of ichor.
2
Sedert1882 4 days ago +14
Funny how Trump listens to the Saudis now. I bet that $2B investment given to Jared Kushner is a bit suspect now.
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adamtnewman 4 days ago +11
I like how no one even mentions Israel in this war now even though they attacked Iran with the US. Genius play.
11
RedditTekUser 4 days ago +3
Wait till they hear about Freedom +
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moop-ly 4 days ago +1
duh?
1
orcofmordor 3 days ago +1
More at 11 🥴
1
IncidentalApex 4 days ago -5
I have said it many times before. Saudi Arabia is not out ally. Questions: 1. Why haven't they volunteered their navy to help clear the strait? 2. Why haven't they launched one missile or bomb in retaliation for being struck many times? 3. How many troops did they send to Iraq or Afghanistan? FYI 0... 4. How many 9/11 terrorists were saudis? FYI 19 out of 20...
-5
Ian_W 4 days ago +20
1. They aren't stupid, and don't want their navy sunk. 2. Because they don't want the water pumpng stations that support resevoir pressure on their oil fields attacked by Iranian drones and missiles. 3. Because they didn't want to help the enemy win in either case. The Saudi army is reliably utterly terrible (cf Yemen). 4. Not really relevant.
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choppytehbear1337 4 days ago +1
I bet the Saudis are regretting backing trump.
1
Appropriate_Fact5703 4 days ago
They’re beginning to use their leverage…. only if Saudis acted earlier, we probably wouldn’t have had the war.
0
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