President Donald Trump‘s annual trip abroad is poised to become crucial as he tries to alter the earth get, with the Middle East in his places amid his price war.
Trump is scheduled to depart next year on a dayslong tour of the Middle East that is expected to contain stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
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“Eight years ago, President Trump’s first trip was to this same region of the world, where he introduced his bold peace through strength foreign policy strategy, ” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday. “On that journey, the senator laid out his aim of eradicating terrorism and fanaticism in the region, which he safely accomplished over the course of his presidency with the entire defeat of ISIS and the ancient signing of the Abraham Accords. ”
According to Lake, Trump may return to repeat his vision for “a happy, prosperous and successful Middle East ” where the United States and Arab states are in “cooperative associations and where extremism is defeated in place of business and social markets. ”
The decision to travel to the Middle East after last month’s trip to the Vatican for Pope Francis‘s funeral underscores the region’s importance to Trump’s domestic and foreign policy interests, from the economy to national security. Saudi Arabia, for example, with its relatively warm relationships with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is hosting U. S. -led negotiations to end the Russia–Ukraine war.
“The choice reflects a recognition that the regional status quo has ended, and the U. S. now has an opportunity to build a new order anchored by strategic alliances and American-led security, ” Hudson Institute’s Zineb Riboua told the Washington Examiner. “This visit signals that the Middle East is where U. S. global leadership is expanding — through diplomacy, military partnerships, and economic influence. China may be active in the region, but only the U. S. is setting the agenda for what comes next. ”
Topics of discussion for next week, including during a summit with Arab leaders, range from the Israel– Hamas war and getting humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, to how to deal with Iran and its nuclear program.
Announcements have already been made amid pre-trip negotiations, including Trump’s anticipated support for renaming the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, to which Iran has promised to respond with “wrath. ” In the past, Iran has taken legal action against Google and airlines for calling the body of water the “Arabian Gulf, ” despite others in the region preferring that name.
Leavitt downplayed the prospect of the name update during Friday ’s press briefing, contending instead that Trump “has n’t made a determination yet. ”
Trump did announce a ceasefire between the U. S. and Houthis in Yemen, much to the disappointment of Israel. The announcement came days after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia, announced it would increase oil production as oil-producing states grapple with Trump’s tariff war. Oil prices, a priority for Trump, have since dropped to an average of$ 60 a barrel from$ 68 a barrel last month.
For Riboua, a senior fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, a good trip for Trump will include signed deliverables, strong public Saudi alignment with the U. S. , and a “clear demonstration ” that Washington is leading “the next chapter of Middle East power dynamics. ”
“Trump is aiming to reestablish the United States as the central power in the Middle East, taking advantage of a transformed regional landscape, ” she said. “[ Former Syrian President Bashar ] Assad’s regime has collapsed, Iran’s proxies are in retreat, and Israel’s decisive victory over Hezbollah has weakened Tehran’s ability to project influence. These developments open the door to a new phase of U. S. -led diplomacy, security, and economic expansion. ”
To that end, Trump is expected to sign two agreements with Saudi Arabia. The president ’s time there is considered a state visit.
The first is a defense agreement improving military cooperation, including joint basing, an arms deal, Red Sea security, and regional deterrence against Iran. The second is a critical minerals and technology agreement incorporating U. S. companies into Saudi supply chains as the kingdom attempts to diversify its economy beyond oil and counter China ’s dominance in rare earths.
The technology piece could additionally include artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency after Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, toured the Middle East and Europe last month to promote the family ’s business interests, including a$ 1 billion luxury hotel in the UAE, a villa complex in Qatar, and a$ 2 billion investment from an Abu Dhabi firm into crypto exchange Binance that Trump’s World Liberty Financial facilitated.
But challenges could emerge for Trump. Riboua suggested the biggest risks are Saudi strategic hedging and the lack of clear follow-through. If Riyadh continues to engage with China and Russia while offering only symbolic commitments to the U. S. , it would undermine the credibility of the trip.
Riboua added that there were also structural policy risks for Trump, particularly if the president lacks a coherent stance on Iran’s nuclear program, which would erode Saudi confidence in the U. S.
“On Yemen, failure to balance Saudi defense needs with pressure for a sustainable peace process could provoke backlash, ” she said of the Yemen civil war, which is perceived as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “ In the Red Sea, where security threats have escalated, any signal of U. S. passivity could embolden rivals and weaken trust among Gulf allies. Missed messaging or ambiguous commitments in these areas would leave space for China or regional actors to fill the vacuum. ”
Trump exacerbated concerns about his Middle East policy this week when he told reporters in the White House’s Oval Office that he had not yet decided whether Iran should be permitted to enrich uranium under a new nuclear deal. The weekend prior, he told NBC News he would only accept “total dismantlement ” of Tehran’s nuclear program.
“ I would much prefer a strong, verified deal, ” he later told Hugh Hewitt. “There are only two alternatives there: blow them up nicely or blow them up viciously. ”
Trump planned to emphasize the Middle East’s importance for his second administration by taking his first trip abroad to the region after it was deprioritized by former President Joe Biden. However, his travel schedule was upended by Francis’s death.
The president and world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, attended the late pope’s funeral at the Vatican. The quartet used the opportunity to discuss an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump and Zelensky had their first one-on-one meeting since their now-infamous shouting match in the Oval Office in February.
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Trump’s choice of the Middle East for his first extensive trip abroad echoes his decision to do the same during his first administration over traditional choices such as Canada, Mexico, or Israel. Israel has reportedly asked Trump to visit the Jewish state while he is overseas and has used his upcoming presence in the region to pressure Hamas into returning its remaining hostages after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, promising to “flatten” Gaza if it does not.
Trump also chose to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman first after his inauguration. During that call, the president asked the kingdom to raise its investments in the U. S. from$ 600 billion to$ 1 trillion.
