Washington DC, May 7 -- US President Donald Trump has reportedly halted a planned naval operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia refused to allow American aircraft involved in the mission to use Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace, according to NBC News.

Citing US officials, NBC News reported that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states were caught off guard by Trump's announcement of "Project Freedom" on Sunday. The news report said that Trump called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but failed to secure an agreement.

Asked whether the operation had surprised Saudi leaders, a Saudi source told NBC News, "the problem with that premise is that things are happening quick...