Saudi Crown Prince MBS reportedly asks US to 'keep hitting Iran hard'

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known as MBS, has reportedly urged U.S. President Donald Trump to “keep hitting the Iranians hard,” according to a New York Times report published on Sunday. The report cites unnamed White House officials.

The young Saudi ruler is reportedly following the advice of the late Saudi King Abdullah, who urged Washington years ago to “cut off the head of the snake,” a reference to the ayatollah regime and its once vast regional network of terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, and other Tehran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. 

Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran have for years been regional rivals in the ongoing tensions between Sunni and Shia Islam. The Arab news outlet Al-Arabiya reported on Monday that MBS held talks with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed amid continuing Iranian attacks on the Arab Gulf states.

The two Arab leaders reportedly discussed whether the Arab states could continue their current policy of avoiding a public confrontation with the Iranian regime.

The two Arab Gulf state leaders warned, “The continuation of Iran's unjust attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries represents a dangerous escalation that threatens the region's security and stability.”

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE also vowed to defend their countries against ongoing Iranian attacks on their territory, including civilian infrastructure such as airports, hotels, and energy assets. 

Prior to the current war, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states released public statements opposed to a military confrontation with the regime in Tehran. However, behind closed doors, MBS reportedly informed the Trump administration that he was not opposed to military strikes against the Islamic Republic, although he reportedly did not actively lobby for them.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have long viewed Tehran’s support for militant groups, and the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions, as serious threats to their national security. However, unlike Israel, Gulf leaders have preferred to keep a low public profile because of concerns that direct confrontation with Iran could invite retaliation.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, the ayatollah regime has launched unprovoked missile and drone attacks against a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the European Union member state Cyprus. 

Sources reportedly told The Jerusalem Post that the Arab states have largely refrained from responding to the Iranian attacks due to concerns about “the day after.” 

On Monday, the Iranian regime's top security official, Ali Larijani, accused the Arab Muslim nations of not supporting Iran during its war with the United States and Israel. 

“Is the position of some Islamic governments not in contradiction with the words of the Prophet of Islam, who said: ‘Whoever hears the cry for help of a Muslim and does not respond is not a Muslim?’” Larijani said. “So what kind of Islam is this?” he added.