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In a stinging critique of Western and regional pressures, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID), has revealed that the Kingdom viewed the recent hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran as a strategic trap designed to dismantle Saudi sovereignty and regional stability.
Writing for Arab News, the veteran diplomat and son of the late King Faisal characterized the conflict—which he dubbed the "US-Israeli war on Iran"—as a calculated attempt to force Riyadh into a "furnace of destruction." In his article, Prince al-Faisal positioned the U.S. and Israel not as allies, but as architects of a plan to weaken the Kingdom.
According to the article, the ultimate goal of this "Israeli plan" was to ensure that Israel could "impose its will on the region" and remain the "only actor" left standing while its neighbors lay in ruin.
"Had the Israeli plan to ignite war between us and Iran succeeded, the region would have been plunged into ruin and destruction," the Prince stated. "Thousands of our sons and daughters would have been lost in a battle in which we had no stake."
He argued that the Saudi leadership, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, intentionally chose to "endure the pains" caused by Iranian provocations rather than take the bait of a full-scale war that would have led to the destruction of Saudi oil facilities and desalination plants.
The article serves as a firm rebuttal to long-standing assertions that Saudi Arabia was "quietly backing" military action against Tehran. Instead, Prince al-Faisal describes a Kingdom that worked "without noise, theatrics, or bluster" to prevent and eventually resolve the conflict diplomatically.
This stance is reinforced by the Kingdom’s recent tactical decisions, including the denial of U.S. access to Saudi bases and airspace for operations during the conflict.
In the article, the prince referred to Iran as a "neighbor" that has caused "pains."
By going on the record to say the U.S. and Israel tried to "drag the Kingdom" into a war for their own benefit, the Saudi establishment is signaling a permanent shift toward a multi-polar foreign policy.
The prince suggested that the influence of warmongers in the region has vanished. "The rug has been pulled from under their feet," he wrote, "our caravan moves forward."
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