MBS Labels Iran War a 'Historic Opportunity', Urges Trump to Deploy Troops Amid Growing Saudi Oil Threats — Report

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged US President Donald Trump to deploy ground troops inside Iran and seize the country's energy infrastructure, framing the war, now in its fourth week, as a 'historic opportunity' to reshape the Middle East, according to people briefed on the conversations who spoke to the New York Times.

The crown prince made his case in a series of phone calls over the past week, pressing Trump to destroy Iran's theocratic government rather than wind down the US-Israeli military campaign. He argued that even a weakened Iran remains a 'grave and direct security threat' to the Gulf, the report said.

The Saudi government rejected the characterisation. 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always supported a peaceful resolution to this conflict, even before it began,' it said in a statement.

Trump's Mixed Signals on the War's Future

The revelations came as Trump offered contradictory signals about the war's direction on Tuesday. Speaking in the Oval Office, the president said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine were 'quite disappointed' by the prospect of a ceasefire.

'Pete didn't want it to be settled,' Trump told reporters. 'They were not interested in settlement. They were interested in just winning this thing.'

The same day, Trump declared the war effectively won. Iran flatly denied that any negotiations had taken place. Since 28 February, 13 US service members have died, and 290 have been wounded, according to US Central Command.

Why Saudi Oil Infrastructure Is the Hidden Flashpoint

What's been overlooked is how vulnerable Saudi Arabia's oil network has become. Saudi air defences intercepted 31 drones and three ballistic missiles on 12 March alone, the largest single-day assault since the war started, the Saudi Ministry of Defence confirmed. On 21 March, another 22 drones were shot down over the Eastern Province.

Iran has already proved it can reach high-value targets. On 2 March, debris from intercepted drones sparked a fire at the Ras Tanura refinery, Saudi Arabia's largest, forcing Saudi Aramco to shut the 550,000-barrel-per-day facility for more than a week. Bloomberg tanker tracking data showed Saudi crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz had fallen 39% as of mid-March, from 6.64 million barrels per day to 4.06 million.

A Consumer Crisis in the Making

MBS's push for ground troops isn't just about geopolitics. It's about protecting the oil exports that bankroll the Saudi economy. If sustained drone waves overwhelm Saudi air defences and knock a major facility offline for longer, analysts warn crude prices could spike well beyond the $119.50 (£89.20) peak Brent has already hit this year.

Brent crude traded around $100 (£74.64) a barrel after touching $104 (£77.63) the session before, swinging roughly 40% above pre-war levels. In the US, the average price of a gallon of petrol has climbed to $3.96 (£2.96), according to AAA, up nearly $1 (£0.75) since the war began. The US Energy Information Administration forecasts Brent will stay above $95 (£70.91) a barrel through at least May.

Kharg Island and the Escalation Ladder

Trump has given more serious consideration to a military operation targeting Kharg Island, the hub of Iran's oil exports, the New York Times reported. Such an operation would be enormously risky and could trigger an even sharper energy price shock.

For ordinary households from London to Los Angeles, the calculus is simple. If MBS convinces Trump to commit ground troops to Iran, this war becomes indefinite. And the longer it lasts, the more energy and food prices will climb for everyone, filling a car or heating a home.