Saudi Arabia has turned down the US, not assisting the Project Freedom initiative to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, because Washington did not inform the kingdom in advance of its initiative, two anonymous US administration officials said, NBC News reports.

US President Donald Trump's announcement of the launch of the aforesaid initiative took the Gulf countries by surprise and angered the Saudi leadership, NBC News adds.

In response, Riyadh informed Washington that it would not allow the US military to use the Prince Sultan Air Base Saudi Arabia and would prohibit the use of its airspace.

A subsequent phone conversation between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud also did not change the situation, after which the American leader was forced to temporarily suspend this initiative.