Donald Trump is set to embark on his first foreign trip of his second administration, a tour of the Middle East, with the aim of securing investment, trade, and technology deals from wealthy leaders in the region. The trip, which is a repeat of his first international trip in 2017, comes amidst turbulent negotiations around several regional conflicts, including Israel’s war in Gaza.
Trump’s negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will cover topics such as oil and trade, investment deals, regional conflicts, and negotiations over the Iran nuclear program. However, his key goal is to come out of the region claiming that he prioritized America’s interests.
Trump’s approach to foreign policy is heavily influenced by his version of economic statecraft, focusing on the wealthy states in the Gulf and their large sovereign wealth funds as sources of investment in the United States.
The trip is notable for Trump’s lack of plans to visit Israel, where there are tensions between the US and Israel due to the Israel-Gaza war. Saudi Arabia has stated that it will not normalize relations with Israel unless there is a two-state solution, and many Middle Eastern countries have spoken out against a proposal began by Trump to expel Palestinians from Gaza to other Arab countries.
There is also a growing understanding in Washington and Israel that Trump has stepped back from attempting to mediate the war in Gaza. The Trump administration will negotiate a new aid deal without direct involvement from the Israeli government to deliver aid into Gaza, which is experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis of the war since a ceasefire collapsed in March.
Trump’s attention is now on the things he can accomplish during the trip, including potentially renaming the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf. However, the Gulf states have largely supported US efforts in talks on the future of the Iranian nuclear program, while the US government’s actions remain uncoordinated. The Trump administration has enlisted his son-in-law Jared Kushner to lead discussions with Saudi Arabia ahead of the trip, but his role is also tainted by perceived conflicts of interest.
There are questions about whether the Trump administration has the focus and the team to pursue a comprehensive policy in the region. Many in Trump’s orbit believe that US policy should prioritize the Indo-Pacific region instead.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/11/trump-middle-east-gulf-israel
