Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has asked US President Donald Trump to avoid launching more attacks on Iran, according to US officials. The latest episode of US-Israeli strikes on Tehran has led to fresh challenges for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's major economic plan, Vision 2030.
During a phone call on Saturday, MBS expressed concern over Trump's plan for possible strikes on Iranian targets. The American President is considering attacks on Iran's energy facilities after Iran's missile strike on a US military base in Jordan and disruptions to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios.
Abdullah bin Farah al-Shaya, a retired brigadier general, told Newsweek, "The Kingdom's Vision 2030 is not merely an economic plan, but a comprehensive national project to build a diversified and sustainable economy and strengthen the Kingdom's position as a global hub for investment, energy, logistics, tourism, and innovation."
Saudi Arabia is worried because any major attack on Iran could have serious consequences for the Gulf region. Tehran has already warned that it could respond by attacking energy and infrastructure sites in Israel and Gulf countries if the US launches new strikes.
Saudi Arabia is one of the closest allies of the United States in the Middle East. Even though there have been some disagreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, the kingdom has continued to influence discussions on how to handle tensions with Tehran.
Dana Stroul, a former US defence official and Middle East expert, said Saudi Arabia realised that using force was not enough to remove the threat from Yemen's Houthi rebels. Stroul said that even repeated military operations by the US and Israel failed to completely remove the Houthi threat.
According to her, if Saudi Arabia enters another major conflict with the Houthis, it could affect Vision 2030.
"Saudi Arabia learned the hard way—after years of war—that military force alone was not sufficient to address the Houthi threat from Yemen." It is not only a question of Saudi military capabilities but also the nature of the Houthi threat, its support from Iran, and its entrenchment in Yemen," Stroul told Newsweek.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held talks with officials from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. During these conversations, he warned that any attack by the US or Israel, or support from other countries for such attacks, would receive a strong response from Iran.
Meanwhile, Qatar is working as a mediator between the two sides. Qatari officials held talks with Iran, US representatives and Oman to find a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil supplies.
