President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the US military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two US officials, NBC reports.

Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the US it would not allow the US military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said, according to NBC.

The publication further stated that a call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom in order to restore US military access to the critical airspace.