A Saudi source has rejected a US media report saying President Donald Trump announced a pause in an American military operation to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz following an intervention by Riyadh, AFP reports.

According to a report from US network NBC News, Trump’s u-turn came after Saudi Arabia — whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly talked directly to Trump — refused to allow US forces to use its airspace and bases for the Hormuz operation.

“This isn’t true,” a source close to the Saudi government tells AFP. The United States still has regular access to Saudi bases and airspace, the source added.

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