Saudi source denies NYT report which claimed Kingdom pushing for prolonged Iran war

A Saudi source on Monday told Al Arabiya a report by The New York Times claiming the Kingdom’s leadership had encouraged a prolonged conflict with Iran was false.

The report, published on Sunday, said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had advised US President Donald Trump to “keep hitting the Iranians hard.”

The source said this claim was incorrect.

Earlier this month, the Saudi embassy in Washington also denied a report by The Washington Post, which alleged that the Kingdom had privately lobbied Trump to launch strikes against Iran.

Saudi Arabia has been among the Gulf states seeking to prevent a wider military confrontation in the region and has publicly said it would not participate in any potential war.