Saudi Arabia pressed US to secure a Lebanon ceasefire to preserve Iran negotiations, sources say
Saudi Arabia pushed the US to prioritise securing a ceasefire in Lebanon in order to sustain talks with Iran, as the kingdom shifts to mediation efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, multiple US, western, and Arab officials told Middle East Eye.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed US President Donald Trump on the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon in a private phone call on Wednesday, the Arab and western officials told MEE.
Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire on Thursday afternoon, which several of the officials attributed to the kingdom’s lobbying.
It is still unclear whether Israel will comply with the agreement and how much pressure Trump will put on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has criticised the Lebanese government for engaging in rare direct talks with Israel.
“Mohammed bin Salman wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened, and he told Trump that a Lebanon ceasefire is critical to achieving that goal and ending the war,” the western official familiar with the two leaders' conversation told MEE.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan could meet next week with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US and Arab officials told MEE. He could be joined by Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, the crown prince’s brother and close advisor, they added.
Saudi officials have also been circulating a negotiation paper, a western and Arab official told MEE.
Trump said last week that Netanyahu agreed to “scale back” fighting in Lebanon, following Iran’s complaints about continued Israeli attacks, but an official ceasefire will likely go much further.
Iran’s speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and a top negotiator have insisted on a ceasefire in Lebanon for meaningful talks with the US to take place. The two-week truce between the US and Iran, announced by Pakistan, explicitly stated that it included the Mediterranean state, but Israel continued to pummel Lebanon.
If the Lebanon deal holds, it could energise Tehran and Washington’s efforts to extend their own truce, which expires on 21 April.
Trump said on Wednesday that talks could resume in Islamabad within the next two days.
'It's a dance'
Pakistan has emerged as the key interlocutor between the US and Iran. But behind the scenes, many western and Arab officials tell MEE that Islamabad would not be able to manoeuvre without the support of Saudi Arabia, a key ally and patron.
The two countries have a mutual defence pact, and Riyadh has often thrown Islamabad an economic lifeline.
This week, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide cash-strapped Pakistan with a $3bn loan after it was forced to make a debt repayment to the UAE.
The western official told MEE that Saudi Arabia was in a good place to urge Trump into mediation and for him to recognise the importance of Iran’s call for a Lebanon ceasefire.
While the kingdom had opposed the US attack on Iran, it eventually provided support to the US. MEE was the first to reveal that it opened King Fahd Air Base in Taif to the US, as Iranian strikes wreaked havoc on Prince Sultan Air Base.
Saudi Arabia pressed Trump to keep up US strikes on Iran, as its energy infrastructure, and that of other states, was targeted.
“Saudi Arabia answered the US call and did the minimum necessary to appease Trump. But now they are focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire. They don’t want further escalation. It’s a dance,” the western official told MEE.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Saudi Arabia has urged Trump not to enact the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Because of the East-West pipeline running from the Gulf to the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia has been able to bypass Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz and export roughly five million barrels of oil per day, but it is actively working to ensure that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is not closed by the Houthis in Yemen.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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