Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

CatWoman

(80,318 posts)
Wed May 6, 2026, 09:59 PM 2 hrs ago

The Saudis are now telling us to fuck off

Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies

Saudi Arabia, a key Gulf ally, suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, sources say.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials.

Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.

A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, the two U.S. officials said, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom in order to restore U.S. military access to the critical airspace.

Other close Gulf allies were also caught off guard; the president spoke with leaders in Qatar after the effort had already begun.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trumps-abrupt-u-turn-plan-re-open-strait-hormuz-came-backlash-allies-rcna343845

27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Saudis are now telling us to fuck off (Original Post) CatWoman 2 hrs ago OP
Chaos leadership. This country made mistakes in the past, but nothing like this. Baitball Blogger 2 hrs ago #1
Trump Reportedly Backed Off Hormuz Plan After Angry Response From Allies CatWoman 2 hrs ago #2
Operation "I Just Pulled It Out of My Ass and You Must Do It Right Now" dalton99a 2 hrs ago #3
Exactly. Fuck the Orwellian "freedom" Cha 1 hr ago #14
Because I'm the King of the World COL Mustard 1 hr ago #19
Just making it up as he goes D_Master81 2 hrs ago #4
The man has the childlike brain of a two-year-old. sheshe2 2 hrs ago #5
what a clusterfuck Skittles 2 hrs ago #6
There's that amazing organizational skill so admired by a Trump voter in The Villages. 🙄 tanyev 1 hr ago #7
Hopefully he's a retired lawyer rpannier 1 hr ago #15
I'm assuming Hannan worked for Dewey Cheatem & Howe. NoMoreRepugs 1 hr ago #17
James Carville says 20% of Americans are fucking idiots Zorro 2 min ago #27
Could the imbeciles in the White House look any smaller Prairie Gates 1 hr ago #8
it's the ART OF THE DEAL, Prairie Gates! Skittles 23 min ago #23
Meidas on this Amaryllis 1 hr ago #9
Trump's concept of being the great dealmaker wnylib 1 hr ago #18
I don't understand how the stock market and oil markets respond almost instantly ToxMarz 1 hr ago #10
We sure as hell LilElf70 1 hr ago #11
When it comes to cards COL Mustard 56 min ago #22
I heard the Saudis ENCOURAGED him to bomb Iran. Now they're not happy with the way things are going? How could they be Fil1957 1 hr ago #12
I thought the crown prince and trump were best buds? vapor2 1 hr ago #13
They were. But that was before Trump started messing with their money. The video explians it pretty well. They don't Amaryllis 57 min ago #21
But what about the Big Red White And Blue Dome Of Freedom? hatrack 1 hr ago #16
Ironic that the Republicans' Project for the New American Century betsuni 1 hr ago #20
Probably no relationship but . . . AverageOldGuy 23 min ago #24
Bonesaw helped elect this fool. So fk him Hassler 20 min ago #25
Did they think of the plan that morning? Melon 17 min ago #26

Baitball Blogger

(52,645 posts)
1. Chaos leadership. This country made mistakes in the past, but nothing like this.
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:02 PM
2 hrs ago

He really doesn't know what he's doing.

CatWoman

(80,318 posts)
2. Trump Reportedly Backed Off Hormuz Plan After Angry Response From Allies
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:03 PM
2 hrs ago

President Donald Trump paused his operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz after backlash from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies, according to U.S. officials.

The president announced the pause on Tuesday evening on Truth Social, claiming it would last for “a short period of time” while the U.S. pursued a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran. The move came just a day after “Project Freedom” began on Monday, following Trump’s Sunday announcement that the U.S. Navy would help “guide” ships of “neutral and innocent bystanders” safely through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” the president wrote.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-reportedly-backed-off-hormuz-plan-after-angry-response-from-allies/

D_Master81

(2,658 posts)
4. Just making it up as he goes
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:25 PM
2 hrs ago

What leadership. Doesn’t know what he’s doing, just making it up and grasping at straws daily.

sheshe2

(98,238 posts)
5. The man has the childlike brain of a two-year-old.
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:26 PM
2 hrs ago

He thinks he is playing a child's game of Red Light Green Light.

My apologies to two-year-olds, they are actually far brighter than tsf could ever wish to be.

tanyev

(49,551 posts)
7. There's that amazing organizational skill so admired by a Trump voter in The Villages. 🙄
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:27 PM
1 hr ago
Not everyone, however, has firmly chosen sides. Edward Hannan, 77, acknowledges the importance of the president's visit but won't be going, mostly to avoid the expected hours-long wait and TSA-like screening.

"I disagree with him on many things, but there are certain things that I like," says Hannan, a lawyer. "He has an organisational skill that, frankly, has not been evidenced in many of our American presidents. But, offsetting that, he is very, very aggressive.


https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21k3ln17ko

Zorro

(18,813 posts)
27. James Carville says 20% of Americans are fucking idiots
Thu May 7, 2026, 12:24 AM
2 min ago

and cannot be reached by any logic, so just forget about them.

Prairie Gates

(8,418 posts)
8. Could the imbeciles in the White House look any smaller
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:30 PM
1 hr ago

Now we see why he posted the meme about Obama bowing. He was himself being forced to bow to MBS Bonesaw at that very moment.

Clown asses, the lot of them.

wnylib

(26,363 posts)
18. Trump's concept of being the great dealmaker
Wed May 6, 2026, 11:25 PM
1 hr ago

Last edited Thu May 7, 2026, 12:05 AM - Edit history (1)

that he's always bragged about is bullying people with threats and being unpredictable in his demands and reactions to events. That only works with people who can be intimidated or who have less money or have no one to stand by them.

Iran is not intimidated. They have money. They have allies. Trump's bullying method of making deals is not working.

ToxMarz

(3,030 posts)
10. I don't understand how the stock market and oil markets respond almost instantly
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:54 PM
1 hr ago

to every 3 am post he makes. There's something really fishy going on there too. As long as I can remember they always had a delayed reaction until when they started seeing results from what the administration announced. Not up and down like a yoyo based on unverifiable social media posts from an administration proven to be unreliable, particularly on this very subject. As the saying goes, 'They're stealing'. I don't know what it is but something is very wrong.

Fil1957

(825 posts)
12. I heard the Saudis ENCOURAGED him to bomb Iran. Now they're not happy with the way things are going? How could they be
Wed May 6, 2026, 10:57 PM
1 hr ago

so stupid?

Amaryllis

(11,389 posts)
21. They were. But that was before Trump started messing with their money. The video explians it pretty well. They don't
Wed May 6, 2026, 11:29 PM
57 min ago

take BS well.

hatrack

(65,062 posts)
16. But what about the Big Red White And Blue Dome Of Freedom?
Wed May 6, 2026, 11:15 PM
1 hr ago

Or BubbleYum, or whatever it's made out of?

betsuni

(29,235 posts)
20. Ironic that the Republicans' Project for the New American Century
Wed May 6, 2026, 11:27 PM
1 hr ago

so quickly turned into Project for the "America Who?" Century.

AverageOldGuy

(4,093 posts)
24. Probably no relationship but . . .
Thu May 7, 2026, 12:04 AM
23 min ago

Does the name “ LIV” mean anything to anyone? LIV was the pro golf association established by Trump and the Saudis — using, of course, Saudi money at Trump golf courses. The idea was that LIV would draw all the big name golfers from the US PGA into LIV thereby ensuring all pro golf would bow to Trump.

Recently a few things that I know of have happened to lead to the end of this Trump pipe dream.

1. The Saudis pulled their money out of LIV.
2. The LIV tourney at Trump’s Doral FL course was a BUST — galleries were non-existent - 100 people in the gallery on the 18th hole.
3. This weekend will see an LIV tourney at Trump’s golf course in Sterling VA. Local sporting goods stores are selling a pair of tickets TO ALL FOUR DAYS for $25.00 . . . and no one is buying. ( I live in Northern VA. Today, just to be an asshole, I went to a local sporting goods store, asked about tickets, to which the guy behind the counter replied “Are you shitting me? We cannot give the fucking things away!”)
4. LIV announced that it was shutting down by the end of the year.

So now another Trump failure to add to Trump Steaks, Trump Home, Trump Water, Trump Shuttle (airline), Trump The Game, Trump University, Trump Vodka and now Trump The Iran War.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»The Saudis are now tellin...