The US President Donald Trump’s administration, under the influence of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, decided to speak out in support of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), The Wall Street Journal reported. 

According to the WSJ sources, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt successfully influenced President Trump so that he would change the course of the United States towards Libya and supported Haftar.

The publication says that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud persuaded Trump to talk to Hoftar on the phone. Saudi crown prince told Trump that the government in Tripoli is linked to the ISIS and Al-Qaida.

According to the publication, during a telephone conversation on April 15, Trump made Huftar understand that he supported him.

Trump's decision was a retreat from the longstanding US policy in Libya, under which Washington supported the National Consensus Government (PNS) in Tripoli and interacted with its forces in the fight against the ISIS, the source added.

The newspaper states that prior to the call from Trump, the State Department called for a ceasefire in Libya and condemned Haftar’s attack.

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj was not notified of changes in the US policy. The publication writes that US diplomats face serious difficulties in developing a new course on Libya.