Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied a report in The Washington Post that said that the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, had lobbied US President Donald Trump to launch strikes on Iran.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been consistent in supporting diplomatic efforts to reach a credible deal with Iran," a spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in Washington wrote on social media.
“At no point in all our communication with the Trump Administration did we lobby the President to adopt a different policy," he added.
Saturday’s Washington Post report, which cited four sources, said that Trump launched the attack on Iran after a weeks-long lobbying effort by the leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
According to the sources, the Saudi Crown Prince made multiple private phone calls to Trump over the past month advocating a US attack, in contrast to his public calls for a diplomatic solution.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, continued his public campaign for US strikes against Iran, as an existential enemy of Israel, the Post said.
Bin Salman had told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in late January that Saudi Arabia would not permit its airspace or territory to be used for any military action against Iran.
During a phone call between the two, the Crown Prince emphasized Riyadh’s support for “efforts that would resolve differences through dialogue" in order to strengthen regional security and stability.