Saudi Arabia, Kuwait lift restrictions on US Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz

Pentagon officials told the newspaper the operation could resume as early as this week.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted objections to the United States using their bases and airspace for Operation “Project Freedom,” removing a key obstacle to a renewed US effort to secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing American and Saudi officials.

The report said the Trump administration is considering restarting the operation, which was launched to help commercial vessels navigate the strategically important waterway before ending only 36 hours after it began.

Pentagon officials told the newspaper the operation could resume “as early as this week,” although no official timeline was announced.

However, Al Jazeera reported that a US official denied “Project Freedom” would be restarted.

Operation “Project Freedom” is a US-led initiative aimed at providing safe passage for commercial shipping amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and concerns over Iranian interference with maritime traffic.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had previously refused to allow American forces to use their bases and airspace for the operation, forcing Washington to pause the initiative shortly after it was launched.

According to the report, the Gulf states initially resisted participation out of concern the operation could escalate tensions with Iran.

Officials also favored diplomatic and region-led approaches over direct military involvement.

The restrictions imposed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reportedly followed comments by senior US officials downplaying the significance of Iranian strikes in the Persian Gulf.

The Wall Street Journal described the latest shift by Riyadh and Kuwait City as removing the final barrier preventing President Donald Trump from moving ahead with efforts to break what the report called the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

The report did not specify whether the renewed operation would differ from the initial deployment or whether additional countries would participate.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical maritime shipping corridors, and US officials have repeatedly accused Iran and its proxies of threatening freedom of navigation in the region.