Saudi Arabia rejects report claiming it encouraged prolonged war with Iran

Saudi Arabia has denied reports claiming that its leadership encouraged a prolonged war against Iran, rejecting a media report that suggested the Kingdom privately supported continued US military strikes on Tehran.

A Saudi source told Al Arabiya that a report published by The New York Times alleging that Saudi leaders urged the United States to intensify attacks on Iran was false. The source said the claims about the Kingdom promoting a prolonged conflict were inaccurate.

The New York Times report had suggested that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman advised US President Donald Trump to “keep hitting the Iranians hard” as the conflict escalated. Saudi officials have now dismissed the report and reiterated that the Kingdom does not support widening the war.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly maintained that it is working to prevent further escalation in the region. Officials say the country has been advocating diplomatic efforts and regional stability rather than prolonged military confrontation.

The denial follows similar responses from Riyadh earlier in the conflict. The Saudi embassy in Washington had previously rejected reports suggesting the Kingdom privately lobbied the US administration to launch military strikes on Iran.

The clarification comes amid the widening war involving Iran, the United States and Israel that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets earlier this year. The conflict has since triggered missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region and raised concerns about regional stability and global energy security.

Saudi Arabia, one of the region’s largest oil producers, has faced security risks from the conflict, with several Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting locations in the Kingdom since the war began.