'Punish Iran': Saudi Arabia and UAE inch closer to supporting US-Israeli war

'Punish Iran': Saudi Arabia and UAE inch closer to supporting US-Israeli war Submitted by Sean Mathews on Fri, 03/20/2026 - 17:29 The kingdom has given the US wider access to new bases, but experts say joining offensive operations opens 'can of worms' Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on 19 November 2025 (Brendan Smialowski/AFP) Off Earlier this month, Elbridge Colby, a senior official in the US Department of War, held a call with Saudi Arabian Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, who is also the brother and top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Iran’s attacks on US bases in the Gulf were heating up, and the US needed expanded access and overflight permissions. Saudi Arabia agreed to open King Fahd Air Base in Taif, in Western Saudi Arabia, to the Americans, multiple US and western officials familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.