Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Trump met at the White House on November 18 last year (local time) [Reuters Yonhap News]

Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has recently urged U.S. President Donald Trump to continue a war with Iran, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 24th (local time).

The NYT, citing multiple sources, reported that Crown Prince bin Salman emphasized his stance on the need to remove Iran's hardline regime in recent conversations with President Trump over the past week.

He is reportedly viewing military operations by the United States and Israel as a "historic opportunity" to reshape the Middle East.

The Crown Prince has argued to President Trump, who has shown wavering on the Iran war, that an end to the conflict would be a mistake, and has urged attacks on Iranian energy facilities to weaken the Iranian government.

Sources said that Crown Prince bin Salman particularly advocated for U.S. ground operations.

He argued that the U.S. should send troops to Iran, seize energy facilities, and overthrow the Iranian government.

In his conversations with Crown Prince bin Salman, President Trump expressed concerns about rising oil prices and the resulting economic burden, and the Crown Prince attempted to persuade him by stating that the impact would be temporary.

Crown Prince bin Salman has argued that Iran poses a long-term threat in the Gulf region, which cannot be resolved without regime change.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also views Iran as a long-term threat, but there are differences in perception regarding the situation after a war.

According to experts, Israel may view Iran's descent into internal chaos and becoming a "failed state" as a positive outcome, while Saudi Arabia sees such a situation as a significant and direct security threat.

Saudi Arabia believes that even if the Iranian government collapses, military factions or militias could emerge and continue to attack Saudi Arabia. They have expressed particular concern about oil facilities becoming primary targets.

Some experts have analyzed that Crown Prince bin Salman sees the current war as an opportunity to expand Saudi influence across the Middle East and believes that Saudi Arabia can defend itself even if the war continues.

It has also been interpreted that while Crown Prince bin Salman may wish to avoid war, he is concerned that if the war is halted, other surrounding countries will be left to face a more emboldened Iran alone.

However, the Saudi government has denied the reports.

They stated to the NYT, "Saudi Arabia has always supported a peaceful resolution to this conflict. We are in close communication with the Trump administration, and our commitment remains unwavering."