Saudi Arabia’s crown prince pushing Trump to keep fighting Iran, put boots on the ground – report

Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been urging US President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, The New York Times reports, citing people briefed by American officials.

Bin Salman has spoken to Trump several times over the past week, pushing the president to keep fighting until the regime in Iran is toppled, according to the report. The Saudi prince sees Iran as a long-term threat that will persist as long as the Islamic Republic exists. He also believes that Iran could continue to target Saudi Arabia and threaten shipping after the war, the newspaper says.

According to the Times, bin Salman fears a failed Iranian state, with military factions continuing to strike the kingdom.

Publicly, Riyadh, which has been hit by numerous Iranian drone and missile attacks, says it wants to see a diplomatic solution.

But, according to the sources, MBS wants to see US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure in order to weaken the regime. He even advocated for US boots on the ground in order to take control of energy sites and topple the regime, they said.

He has told Trump that spikes in oil prices are only temporary.

Recognition of the need to further degrade Iran’s military capabilities is widespread enough that multiple Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are considering joining the US and Israeli strikes against Iran, a senior Gulf official told The Times of Israel last week.