Trump Reportedly Mulling 'Project Freedom' Restart After Gulf States Lift Curbs On Military Access

The S&P 500 fell to session lows as oil spiked after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US is looking to restart Project Freedom as early as this week and that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted curbs on airspace access.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the U.S. military's use of their bases and airspace imposed after the start of the American operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. and Saudi officials, easing a hurdle that had tripped up President Trump's effort to move ships through the vital waterway.

The Trump administration is now looking to restart the operation to guide commercial ships with naval and air support that it had paused after 36 hours this week, U.S. officials said.

It isn't clear when that could happen though Pentagon officials gave a timeline of as early as this week.

The U.S. operation to force open the strait relied on an enormous fleet of aircraft to protect commercial ships from Iranian missiles and drones, making Saudi and Kuwaiti bases and airspace critical to its execution.

The kneejerk reaction was higher oil prices...

...and the odds of a peace deal by the end of next week lower...

Trump had suspended the effort, called Project Freedom, on Tuesday evening, after a phone call with the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which the de facto Saudi leader conveyed his concerns and advised the president of the decision about base and airspace restrictions, the Saudi officials said. The president tried to get the Gulf leader to back down, they said.

Iran Reiterates Uranium 'Red Line' - Pushes Oil Up

While this is nothing 'new' - the timing is key, given the US is still awaiting Tehran's response to the latest peace deal proposal, at a moment reports say the President Trump wants to wrap this up.

Iran Secretary of the National Security Commission of the Parliament told Nour News: No uranium has left the country; The right to enrich uranium, the complete lifting of sanctions, and the release of the country's assets are non-negotiable red lines. Further he said that "Trump's claim about the withdrawal of 400 kilograms of uranium from Iran is a "political bluff and a pure lie." No uranium has left the country."

The return of such firm rhetoric, and the likelihood that this signals a rejection of current Washington demands, sent oil climbing back up...