Saudi defense minister says Iranian regime will be strengthened if Trump backs down on strikes

“At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime,” Khalid bin Salman said in a closed-door meeting.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman told US officials in Washington on Friday that failing to act on threats against Iran would strengthen the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to people present at the meeting cited by Axios.

“At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime,” he said during the closed-door briefing.

The comments stood in contrast to Saudi Arabia’s recent public stance. Earlier this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged caution in dealings with Tehran, a position that reportedly factored into President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone potential military action.

Days later, the crown prince reiterated Riyadh’s policy in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, telling him the kingdom would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any attack on Iran, according to the Saudi Press Agency. He stressed that dialogue was the preferred path to resolving disputes and maintaining regional stability.

Iranian media, cited by Reuters, reported that Pezeshkian welcomed any effort conducted “within the framework of international law” aimed at avoiding war.

Sources at the Washington meeting told Axios that Prince Khalid also pushed back against suggestions of rising anti-Israel sentiment in Saudi public discourse, though one attendee remarked that “the more he said it, the less reassuring it sounded.”

Prince Khalid, the crown prince’s younger brother and a key confidant, had met the previous day at the White House with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine. A source said the talks centered on scenarios involving possible US action against Iran.

The episode illustrated the gap between Saudi Arabia’s private messaging in Washington and its public diplomatic posture as tensions between the United States and Iran remain elevated.