Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Friday warned that if US President Donald Trump does not follow through on his threats to strike Iran, the IRGC will come out stronger, Axios reported.
"At this point, if this doesn't happen, it will only embolden the regime," bin Salman said, according to the sources in the room.
Axios' report was based on four sources who were in the room when bin Salman spoke during a private briefing in Washington on Friday. Three sources who were in the room said that bin Salman insisted his country was not experiencing a rise in anti-Israel sentiment on social media and in the press, but added that "the more he said it, the less reassuring it sounded."
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman warned Trump against striking Iran, leading the US President to delay the strike.
On Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Saudi Arabia will not permit its airspace or territory to be used for any military action against Iran, Saudi Arabia’s state‑run SPA news agency reported.
During the phone call, the Crown Prince emphasized Riyadh’s support for “efforts that would resolve differences through dialogue" in order to strengthen regional security and stability.
Earlier in the day, according to Reuters, Iranian media reported that Pezeshkian told bin Salman that Tehran welcomes any process “within the framework of international law" that helps prevent war.
Khalid bin Salman is the younger brother of the Crown Prince, and considered to be his close confidant. On Thursday, he held a White House meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Dan Caine, focusing on the possibility of a US strike in Iran, a source told Axios.