Saudi Arabia suspends US military access to its bases and airspace

New Delhi: Saudi Arabia suspended US military access to its bases and airspace, forcing President Donald Trump to abruptly abandon his plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, two US officials have confirmed.

The move marks a significant setback for Washington’s Gulf strategy, with a key regional ally effectively blocking the operation known as Project Freedom before it could gain traction. Trump has shifted focus to diplomacy, describing recent talks with Iran as very good and saying a permanent deal is very possible.

Iran is now reviewing a 14-point US proposal to end the war, with Tehran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi calling for dialogue and diplomacy.

The proposed framework would pause hostilities and open a 30-day window of final negotiations, even though core issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme would be left for later talks.

Washington says it expects an Iranian response imminently. The diplomatic picture remains fluid as Iran has not publicly confirmed acceptance of any terms, and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has dismissed some media reports as fake.

While diplomacy advances, fighting across West Asia shows no sign of stopping. Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since a US-brokered ceasefire nominally took effect on April 17.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli air raid on the town of Harouf killed one person and injured three, while Israeli warplanes carried out multiple strikes on Ad-Doueir, destroying the town square, damaging a mosque, and killing at least one more person.

The Israeli military says its operations target Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters and have reported more than 220 Hezbollah members killed since the ceasefire began.

In Gaza, Israeli strikes have continued, with Hamas condemning the attacks as a continuation of what it calls Israel’s war of extermination.

Mediators continue to shuttle proposals between the two sides as both Washington and Tehran weigh the costs of continued escalation against the prospect of a negotiated pause. (Agencies)