President Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia for the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East this week. His first visit is focused on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran's nuclear program and the war in Gaza drag on in the background.
In a speech earlier Tuesday, Trump urged Iran to take a "new and a better path" as he pushes for a new nuclear deal and said he wanted to avoid conflict with Tehran.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One. The pair signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements.
In public remarks in Ridayh, Trump said it was his "fervent hope and wish" that Saudi Arabia "will soon be joining the Abraham Accords" and recognize Israel. Saudi Arabia long has maintained that recognition of Israel is tied to the establishment of a Palestinian state along the lines of Israel's 1967 borders.
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Trump’s final event in Riyadh will be at the birthplace of the first Saudi state
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, is set to fete Trump with an opulent state dinner Tuesday evening at Ad-Diriyah.
The UNESCO heritage site is the birthplace of the first Saudi state and the site of a major development project championed by the crown prince.
It’s set to be Trump’s final event of the day in Riyadh.
U.N. welcomes easing of U.S. sanctions on Syria
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that the easing of sanctions on Syria “is a positive development, inviting a broader investment” in the country.
The lifting of sanctions will help the reconstruction of Syria and “help the Syrian people recover from more than a decade of conflict, a decade of underinvestment,” Dujarric said. It will put more of a focus “on economic development, on private businesses and investment.”
The United Nations will continue to support Syria’s reconstruction, whether it’s physical or psychological, “for it to be a country where all Syrians of all faiths, of all ethnicities and minorities feel safe and represented.” Dujarric said.
Trump says he’ll ease sanctions on Syria
In his remarks before investors, Trump said he will move to normalize relations with Syria and lift sanctions on its new government to give the country “a chance at peace.”
Trump said the effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”
▶Read more about sanctions on Syria
Sirens sound in Israel
Sirens sounded from what the Israeli military said was a missile fired from Yemen. The military said it intercepted the missile.
The announcement came minutes after President Donald Trump ended his speech in Riyadh, his first major address of his Mideast tour, during which he criticized the Houthi militant group in Yemen.
Sirens could be heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
‘YMCA’ blares as Trump wraps his speech at Saudi investor conference
The late 1970s song by the Village People is a staple of Trump's campaign rallies.
He spoke for about 50 minutes, addressing regional and global concerns, before wrapping up. Trump smiled and shook hands with the crown prince before leaving the stage.
Trump says potential talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey ‘could produce some pretty good results’
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be among top U.S. officials traveling to Turkey for talks Thursday on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump said he’s been working “relentlessly” to end the bloodshed.
“We’ll see if we can get it done,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he’ll be waiting for Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.
Putin has not said whether he will show up.
Trump says people of Gaza ‘deserve a much better future’
Trump said during his address in Riyadh that he was working to end the Israel-Hamas war as quickly as possible.
Criticizing Hamas, he said that improving Palestinian lives in Gaza “cannot occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men and women for political ends.”
“The way those people are treated in Gaza,” he said, “there’s not a place in the world where people are treated so awful.”
Trump also lauded his administration’s negotiations to return Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who Hamas released from captivity Monday.
Joining Abraham Accords would be a major policy shift for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia long has maintained that recognition of Israel is tied to the establishment of a Palestinian state along the lines of Israel’s 1967 borders. Under the Biden administration, there was a push for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel as part of a major diplomatic deal.
However, the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel upended those plans and sent the region into one of the most diplomatically fraught periods it has faced.
The Abraham Accords in Trump’s first term saw both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel. Morocco and Sudan also had their own deals.
Trump denounces interventionist foreign policy
Trump lauded Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries for “developing your own sovereign countries, pursuing your own unique visions, and charting your own destinies in your own way.”
“In the end, the so-called “nation-builders” wrecked far more nations than they built — and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies they did not understand,” the U.S. president said.
Trump says America is ‘rocking’
Trump talked about his economic, immigration and other policies before getting to the heart of his speech at a Saudi investor conference.
He touched on steps his administration has taken to crack down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, boasted that recruitment into the military is higher and declared that trade negotiations with the United Kingdom and China have been fruitful.
He did not mention his tariff policy, which upended global markets in April before he changed course.
Trump said he was sharing an “abundance of good news from a place called America,” and added: “We are rocking.”
Trump tells Saudis in speech that China had ‘agreed to open up to the US for trade’
Trump is delivering his foreign policy address in Saudi Arabia Tuesday as U.S. stocks are up again. Markets enjoyed a big gain to start the week following the United States and China's announcements of a 90-day pause in their trade war to allow for negotiations.
Trump calls Mohammed bin Salman an ‘incredible man’
Trump lavished praise on the Saudi crown prince and his family in the first address of his Mideast trip.
Speaking to a large crowd at the Saudi-US investment forum, he called the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia a “bedrock of security and prosperity.”
Claps, cheers and whistles for Trump and the Saudi crown prince
The crowd is exuberant. Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” played as Trump joined Mohammed bin Salman on stage.
The crown prince spoke first, at a podium underneath a massive chandelier with the American and Saudi flags emblazoned behind him. Trump watched with earbuds for translation in his ears. Then he stood in front of a giant Saudi flag on a big screen as Greenwood’s song played. The audience of Saudis in traditional red-and-white checkered headscarves and robes recorded the moment on their phones as Trump swayed to the music.
Trump pushes in Saudi Arabia speech for a new nuclear deal with Iran
Iran and the United States have held multiple rounds of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing program. They come after Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, setting the stage for years of tensions and attacks across the wider Middle East.
While Gulf Arab states felt anger toward President Barack Obama for striking the deal without involving them in their minds, now the countries of the region have been pushing for de-escalation as tensions remain high over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Trump to meet with Syria’s Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former insurgent who led Assad’s overthrow
The U.S. once offered $10 million for information about the whereabouts of the insurgent formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He had joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq.
Syria’s new president came back to his home country after the conflict began in 2011, and led al-Qaida’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group and cut links with al-Qaida before they finally succeeded in overthrowing Bashar Assad in December.
Musk warmed up the crowd for Trump and the crown prince
With Trump and Prince Mohammed running over 45 minutes late to the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, billionaire Elon Musk suddenly came out on the stage as almost a warm-up act for the leaders.
Musk said he showed Tesla robots off to the two leaders.
“In fact one of our robots did the Trump dance,” Musk said, drawing laughter.
Musk also said Saudi Arabia had approved Starlink internet service for “maritime and aviation use.”
Hospital official says freed American-Israeli hostage appears ‘stable overall’
The full medical implications of Edan Alexander’s prolonged captivity will continue to be assessed in the coming days.
That’s according to a statement from Gil Fire, deputy director of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center where Edan Alexander is being treated.
Hamas released Alexander on Monday after more than 19 months in a goodwill gesture to the Trump administration.
Noting that Alexander was born in the very same Tel Aviv hospital, Fire said he’s now staying at a specially prepared unit designed to cater to all of his medical needs “while also offering a home-like atmosphere that supports his adjustment to his new reality, with full privacy and in accordance with his preferences.”
Senate Democratic leader say’s he’ll hold up Justice nominations until he gets answers on plane
Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Trump’s plan to accept Qatar’s donation of a 747 to replace Air Force One “is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat.”
Schumer wants the DOJ to investigate whether Qatari foreign agents in the U.S. could benefit Trump or his business. He also wants to know how security measures will be built into the plane and how it will paid for.
The holds means the Senate can’t quickly confirm any Justice nominations, such as U.S. attorneys, which are often approved by voice vote.
“Until the American people learn the truth about this deal, I will do my part to block the galling and truly breathtaking politicization at the Department of Justice,” Schumer said.
Republicans line up against Trump accepting Qatari 747 for Air Force One
Trump has bristled at suggestions that he should turn down the plane, comparing the potential gift to favors on the golf course. “When they give you a putt, you pick it up and you walk to the next hole and you say, ‘Thank you very much,’” he said.
▶ Read more about the controversy over Qatar gifting Trump a 747 for Air Force One
Trump now says he won’t fly the Qatari 747 after his term ends
For Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer: Saying "No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane," would make him a "stupid person," he told reporters.
Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying the $400 million plane would be donated to a future presidential library, but that hasn’t quelled the controversy. Democrats are united in outrage, and even some of the Republican president’s allies are worried.
Critics of the plan say it could turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.
Cheaper gas prices a boon for Trump
Saudi Arabia and fellow OPEC+ nations have already helped their cause with Trump by stepping up oil production. Trump sees cheap energy as key to lowering costs and stemming inflation for Americans, and to hastening an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
But Saudi Arabia’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil, and the kingdom needs a fiscal break-even oil price of $96 to $98 a barrel to balance its budget. How long OPEC+ will keep production elevated — Brent crude closed Monday at $64.77 a barrel — is questionable.
“One of the challenges for the Gulf states of lower oil prices is it doesn’t necessarily imperil economic diversification programs, but it certainly makes them harder,” said Jon Alterman, a senior Middle East analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Trump says he and Saudi crown prince like each other “a lot”
Trump offered the assessment as he and Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader held talks at the Royal Court in Riyadh.
He called Mohammed bin Salman a friend and said they’d developed a good relationship. He spoke about visiting Saudi Arabia in 2017 on the first foreign trip of his first term in office.
Trump has said he decided to make Saudi Arabia his first official overseas stop again because of the kingdom’s promise to invest $600 billion in the United States — and then he joked that the Saudis could bump it up to $1 trillion.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said.
US officials tell families of Israeli hostages they will accept nothing less than everyone’s return
Witkoff and the Trump administration’s envoy for hostage affairs have told the families of hostages still held in Gaza that they will do what is needed to bring everyone home.
The two officials are next traveling to Qatar to join Trump there. Qatar has been a key mediator during the 19-month Israel-Hamas war.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, said they wouldn’t be traveling to Qatar if they didn’t think there was a genuine chance for progress in negotiations.
Freed American-Israeli hostage says he feels weak but is OK
Edan Alexander has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable,” Alexander said about his freedom in remarks released by Netanyahu’s office.
Asked how he feels, Alexander answered: “Ok, weak, but slowly we’ll get back to what we were before.”
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff then got on the call and Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to the U.S. president for helping to free Alexander.
Witkoff also said, in a post on X, that Trump spoke with Alexander, and remains committed to bringing home all of the hostages.
There were reports Alexander was going to meet Trump in Qatar this week but a statement from the hostage forum, which represents the families, said he won’t be flying there. The family is in continuous contact with the Trump administration, it said.
Netanyahu says there is ‘no way’ Israel will halt its war in Gaza as Trump tours Mideast
The Israeli prime minister says that any ceasefire deal with Hamas would be temporary.
Netanyahu’s statement came ahead of Trump’s visit to the Middle East, which did not include a stop in Israel.
Netanyahu said that if Hamas were to say it would release more hostages, “we’ll take them, and then we’ll go in. But there will be no way we will stop the war.”
Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive.
Trump's Mideast envoy meets families of Israeli hostages
The U.S. special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff met privately with families of the hostages in Tel Aviv’s Hostage’s Square on Tuesday.
Witkoff said he met with Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American soldier released on Monday, and that he was an “incredibly resilient young man.”
Hamas released Alexander who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than 19 months, offering a goodwill gesture toward Trump that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire.
Witkoff said negotiations for a more lasting ceasefire have begun, and that he hopes more hostages could be released soon. “We’re working on it,” he said.
Dozens of people stood in the Square and chanted “Bring them home now!”
Witkoff also spoke with and embraced Ruby Chen, whose Israeli-American son, Itay Chen, was abducted to Gaza and later pronounced dead. His body is still held in Gaza.
Trump starts his foreign trip with a crush of problems — and outsized certainty he has the answers
Trump had intended to use his four-day trip to press wealthy Gulf Arab nations to pour billions in new investment into the U.S. But now he finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises — and searching for glimmers of hope in the deep well of global turmoil — that are casting greater import on the first extended overseas trip of his second term.
“This world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago,” Trump crowed to reporters on Monday as he sized up the foreign policy challenges he’s facing. “And a lot safer than it was six months ago.”
The president was brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world’s most intractable problems, from tensions in South Asia to the future of sanctions in Syria to the war in Ukraine.
But behind closed doors, the Saudi crown prince, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed will be looking to get a bead on how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving the war in Gaza, dealing with Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear program and addressing India-Pakistan tensions.
▶ Read more about the geopolitical crises Trump is facing with his first trip
An Israeli strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip kills a journalist targeted earlier
Hassan Eslaiah, who was targeted in an earlier strike, has been described by Israel as a Hamas militant posing as a journalist. Israel says he took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. He and another individual were killed in the overnight strike, according to Nasser Hospital. Eslaiah was at the facility receiving treatment from severe burns from the earlier strike, Dr. Ahmed Alfarra said.
Israel said it struck militants who were operating inside the hospital, without identifying them.
An Israeli strike just outside the hospital in April set a media tent ablaze and killed two people, including a local reporter. Eslaiah was among six other journalists who were wounded in that strike. The Israeli military said Eslaiah was the target.
Eslaiah had occasionally contributed images to The Associated Press and other international media outlets as a freelance journalist, including on Oct. 7. The AP has not worked with him for over a year.
Saudi investment minister praises US-Saudi relations
Khalid al-Falih spoke at a Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum ahead of Trump’s arrival in Riyadh.
“Our bilateral relationship is one of the world’s most significant geostrategic bonds, with economic cooperation and business partnerships at its core, and serves as a force for peace and global prosperity,” he said.
He reiterated a pledge by the Saudi crown prince to see investment in the U.S. of $600 billion over the next four years.
Airport greeting by Saudi crown prince a rare honor for US presidents
Saudi crown prince’s airport greeting for Trump underscores the close relationship the de facto ruler of the kingdom wants to have with the American leader.
Typically, a provincial governor or another official will greet a foreign leader on arrival. King Salman once greeted President Barack Obama at the airport on a trip to the kingdom, but then lower-ranking officials did as the kingdom grew angry over his stance on the 2011 Arab Spring and the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
President Joe Biden also was greeted by a provincial governor on his 2022 trip to the kingdom, before having an awkward fist-bump with Prince Mohammed, who he derided as a “pariah” during his election campaign after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Treasury secretary says US, China have a ‘mechanism’ to avoid tensions
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that America and China now have a “mechanism” to avoid tensions.
He spoke at an investment forum just before Trump was to land in Saudi Arabia.
“We had a plan, we had a process. What we did not have with the Chinese was a mechanism,” Bessent told the forum. “After this weekend, we have a mechanism to avoid escalation like we had before.”
Bessent said America could have a “big, beautiful rebalancing” with China as Beijing aims to have more of a consumption-based economy and Trump wants to see more precision manufacturing done in the U.S.
Iran is mostly quiet about Trump’s trip as it negotiates with US over the nuclear program
Previous trips by U.S. presidents to the kingdom have drawn comments about Saudi Arabia being “milked” by the Americans for oil and dollars for military sales.
But this time, Iranian newspapers and state television largely are not discussing Trump’s trip in detail.
The quiet may be due to the fact Riyadh and Tehran have been in a Chinese-mediated detente since 2023. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, a brother to the Saudi crown prince, also traveled to Tehran in a high-level visit unthinkable in recent years of tensions between the two Mideast rivals.
Hussein Ibish, an analyst at the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute, said Saudi Arabia’s economic development projects at home means the kingdom wants peace across the region.
Tightly controlled Saudi media outlets express hope for Trump visit
Saudi Arabia’s tightly controlled media offered positive comments regarding Trump’s visit. Columnists in the kingdom sought to describe the visit as part of a strategic reset in American-Saudi relations, which date back to when then-President Franklin Roosevelt met King Saud aboard the USS Quincy in 1945.
“Many countries around the world, including in Europe, are following Saudi Arabia’s lead in managing their affairs with Trump,” wrote Abdulrahman al-Rashed in Asharq Al-Awsat. “The era of relying solely on political and military alliances with Washington is over; the focus now is on forging shared interests.”
Faisal J. Abbas of the English-language Arab News wrote that “the significance of the visit cannot be overstated — nor could its timing be more crucial,” given Saudi Arabia’s mediation in the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
He also acknowledged business deals would be part of the trip as well.
“Putting America first does not mean ignoring opportunities abroad; it means seizing them,” Abbas added.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP