Latest news with #ArabGulf
Nahar Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Trump hosts Persian Gulf leaders at White House
by Naharnet Newsdesk 17 July 2025, 14:40 President Donald Trump hosted a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace on the Middle East. Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and dined privately with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Persian Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. With little progress to share on the region's most intractable problems, including the war in Gaza, Trump was more focused Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. "Anything they needed, we helped them," Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. "And anything we needed, they helped us." Meeting with Bahrain's crown prince Bahrain is a longtime ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which operates in the Middle East. Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa was eager to highlight the lucrative potential of diplomatic ties with the U.S., including $17 billion of investments. "And this is real," he said. "It's real money. These aren't fake deals." According to the White House, the agreements include purchasing American airplanes, jet engines and computer servers. More investments could be made in aluminum production and artificial intelligence. Bahrain's king, the crown prince's father, is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year. An important part of the relationship will be an agreement, signed on Wednesday, to advance cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Dinner with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a member of the country's ruling family, was at the White House for a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Trump visited Qatar during his trip to the region, marveling at its palaces and stopping at the Al Udeid Air Base, a key U.S. military facility. The base was targeted by Iran after the U.S. bombed the country's nuclear facilities. One ballistic missile made impact, while others were intercepted. Trump wants to use a luxurious Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as his Air Force One because he's tired of waiting for Boeing to finish new planes. However, the arrangement has stirred concerns about security and the ethics of accepting a gift from a foreign government. Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said "the Gulf represents everything that Trump believes is right about the Middle East." "It's rich, it's stable, it's populated by authoritarians with whom the president feels very comfortable," he said. Fighting in Syria The fighting in Syria began with clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the country's south. Government forces intervened, raising alarms in Israel, where the Druze are a politically influential religious minority. On Wednesday, Israel launched strikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus. A ceasefire was later announced, but it was unclear if it would hold. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office for Trump's meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain, said the fighting was the result of "an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding." He said "we think we're on our way to a real de-escalation" that would allow Syria to "get back on track" to rebuilding after years of civil war. Despite an international outcry over its punishing military operations in Gaza, Israel has successfully weakened its enemies around the region, including Hezbollah and Iran. "There's a growing concern that Israel been a bigger sense of unpredictability," Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said. He also warned that "there's still no game plan to deal with the loose ends of Iran's nuclear program and its other activities in the region," such as support for the Houthis.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Could Trump be persuaded to save Palestinians in Gaza?
It seems paradoxical to look to Donald Trump to save the Palestinians, yet no recent American president has been better placed to insist that the Israeli government stop its extraordinary repression and brutality. Trump so far has largely given Israel carte blanche to continue its genocide in Gaza, but Benjamin Netanyahu would be remiss to count on the fickle and self-serving American president. And there may be a way to turn Trump around. Most US presidents have stuck with the Israeli government regardless of its atrocities because the political fallout of deviating was too high. Any pressure on Israel would be sure to trigger outrage from Christian evangelicals (Israel's largest group of supporters in the US) and the conservative segment of American Jews represented by the lobbying group Aipac. Trump is less susceptible to such pressure because there is no major political figure to his right. Israel's supporters can complain, but they have no place to turn. Trump has already used that latitude to differ from the Israeli prime minister on a range of issues. He lifted sanctions on the interim Syrian authorities when Netanyahu preferred a crippled neighbor. He struck a deal with Houthi forces in Yemen to stop attacking shipping without insisting on an end to attacks on Israel. He authorized direct negotiations with Hamas, which Netanyahu considered anathema, and initially pursued negotiations with Iran while Netanyahu preferred immediate bombing. He visited the Arab Gulf states without stopping in Israel. And he put pressure on Netanyahu twice to agree to temporary ceasefires in Gaza. In other respects, Trump has supported the Netanyahu government. He authorized renewed delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs that Joe Biden had suspended because Israel was using them to decimate Palestinian neighborhoods. He vetoed a UN security council call for an unconditional ceasefire. He imposed sanctions on the international criminal court (ICC) prosecutor for charging Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant with the war crime of starving and depriving Palestinian civilians. He also sanctioned two ICC judges for affirming the charges, and a UN special rapporteur for accurately reporting on and denouncing Israel's genocide. But Netanyahu could find it perilous to count on Trump. Despite the periodic shows of mutual support, there seems to be no love lost between the two men. Moreover, Trump's mood changes with the weather. He can turn on a dime with barely a blush. His loyalty is foremost to himself. His only lodestar is his political or financial self-interest. There are plenty of reasons for the transactional Trump to sour on Netanyahu. While Trump bellyaches about the funds spent to defend Ukraine's democracy from Vladimir Putin's invasion, the US government has sent more than $22bn to Israel to sustain its war in Gaza, with no end in sight (more than $300bn since Israel's founding in 1948). Netanyahu seems to treat an open spigot from Washington as an entitlement, but Trump can easily develop an allergy to such enormous expenditures. Then there is Trump's ego. Netanyahu's pronouncement during his White House visit this month that he had nominated Trump for a Nobel peace prize was cringe-worthy in its pandering, especially from a man whose willingness to relentlessly kill Palestinian civilians as a vehicle to retain power and avoid pending corruption charges is the main obstacle to a ceasefire. But Trump seems genuinely to want a Nobel peace prize. That won't happen by underwriting the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, which Trump initially proposed and Netanyahu's far-right ministers, who are capable of collapsing his governing coalition, are demanding. Nor will it come from sequestering Palestinians in a 'concentration camp', as former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert describes the proposal of the Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, to confine Palestinians on the ruins of a corner of Gaza. Trump would deserve accolades for truly ending the conflict and enabling the rebuilding of Gaza. But the conflict is unlikely to truly end, and the Gulf Arab states will be reluctant to pony up the billions needed for reconstruction, for a mere return to the apartheid that Israel has imposed on Palestinians in the occupied territory. A Nobel-worthy end to the conflict would be a Palestinian state living side-by-side with an Israeli one. Netanyahu has devoted his career to avoiding that possibility. The massive settlement enterprise is designed to preclude it. But because none of the alternatives – mass expulsion, endless apartheid or equal rights in a single state – is morally or politically viable, a Palestinian state is the best option. It is difficult to imagine Trump pushing for a Palestinian state. He has appointed an ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, whose vision for a state is to put it anywhere but in Palestine. But if Trump's quest for accolades, his bid for the history books, takes priority in his mind, which is entirely possible, we should not discount this turn of events. Trump turned on Putin last week when he proclaimed: 'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' That describes Netanyahu to a T. Why does Trump let Netanyahu keep playing him the way Putin did? How can Trump proclaim himself the Master Negotiator when he can't manage to use his enormous leverage over Netanyahu to get him to stop bombing and starving Palestinian civilians? Is Trump not sophisticated enough to move from real-estate deals to international negotiations? I'm sure that Trump would hate to be asked these questions. The sycophants around him won't. Others can and should. Trump's fragile ego, his insatiable need for praise, may be the Palestinians' best chance of turning him in a constructive direction. Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch (1993-2022), is a visiting professor at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs. His book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, was published by Knopf and Allen Lane in February
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
US-Middle East relations: Donald Trump hosts Gulf leaders at White House; Bahrain announces $17 billion in deals
Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Bahrain meets with Donald Trump at WH As fresh violence erupted between Israel and Syria, US President Donald Trump welcomed two key Arab Gulf leaders to the White House on Wednesday, aiming to spotlight diplomatic and economic progress in the region despite renewed doubts over Middle East peace efforts. Trump first held talks with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office and was later scheduled to dine privately with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The meetings came amid rising tensions in Syria and criticism over Israel's military actions in Gaza. Trump focused on showcasing the benefits of closer economic ties. 'Anything they needed, we helped them,' Trump said during the meeting with the Bahraini crown prince. 'And anything we needed, they helped us.' In a post on Trurh Social, the MAGA supremo said : "It was my Great Honor to welcome the Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Bahrain today at the White House. We have had a tremendous relationship with Bahrain over the years—and they have been a fantastic ally!" Bahrain's $17 billion deal Bahrain is a key US ally and hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. It brings tangible commitments to the table. Crown Prince Al Khalifa said the kingdom had agreed to $17 billion in investments in the United States. 'And this is real,' the crown prince said. 'It's real money. These aren't fake deals.' According to the White House, the investment package includes the purchase of American aircraft, jet engines and computer servers, with potential future deals in aluminium production and artificial intelligence. A separate agreement was also signed to strengthen cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year to further cement ties. Qatar visit follows Trump's regional tour Later on Wednesday, Trump hosted a dinner for Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The visit follows Trump's recent trip to the region, which included stops in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, where he toured luxurious palaces. Trump has reportedly shown interest in replacing his current presidential aircraft with a lavish Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, as Boeing delays the delivery of new Air Force One planes. However, this idea has raised ethical and security concerns about accepting such a gift from a foreign government. Fighting erupts in Syria Even as Trump hosted the Gulf leaders, fresh conflict broke out in southern Syria. Clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions prompted intervention by government forces, triggering concerns in Israel, where the Druze are a politically significant minority. Israel responded with strikes in Damascus on Wednesday. US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who was also present for Trump's meeting with Al Khalifa, described the Syrian conflict as 'an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding.' He added, 'we think we're on our way to a real de-escalation' that could help Syria start rebuilding after years of war.
6 days ago
- Business
Trump hosts Gulf leaders at White House as new violence raises questions about progress toward peace
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump is hosting a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace on the Middle East. Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and was set to have dinner with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. With little progress to share on the region's most intractable problems, including the war in Gaza, Trump was more focused Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. 'Anything they needed, we helped them,' Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 'And anything we needed, they helped us.' Bahrain is a longtime ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which operates in the Middle East. Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa was eager to highlight the lucrative potential of diplomatic ties with the U.S., including $17 billion of investments. 'And this is real,' he said. 'It's real money. These aren't fake deals.' According to the White House, the agreements include purchasing American airplanes, jet engines and computer servers. More investments could be made in aluminum production and artificial intelligence. Bahrain's king, the crown prince's father, is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year. An important part of the relationship will be an agreement, signed on Wednesday, to advance cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a member of the country's ruling family, is scheduled to attend a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Trump visited Qatar during his trip to the region, marveling at its palaces and stopping at the Al Udeid Air Base, a key U.S. military facility. The base was targeted by Iran after the U.S. bombed the country's nuclear facilities. One ballistic missile made impact, while others were intercepted. Trump wants to use a luxurious Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as his Air Force One because he's tired of waiting for Boeing to finish new planes. However, the arrangement has stirred concerns about security and the ethics of accepting a gift from a foreign government. Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said 'the Gulf represents everything that Trump believes is right about the Middle East.' 'It's rich, it's stable, it's populated by authoritarians with whom the president feels very comfortable,' he said. The fighting in Syria began with clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the country's south. Government forces intervened, raising alarms in Israel, where the Druze are a politically influential religious minority. On Wednesday, Israel launched strikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus. A ceasefire was later announced, but it was unclear if it would hold. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office for Trump's meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain, said the fighting was the result of 'an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding." He said 'we think we're on our way to a real de-escalation' that would allow Syria to 'get back on track' to rebuilding after years of civil war. Despite an international outcry over its punishing military operations in Gaza, Israel has successfully weakened its enemies around the region, including Hezbollah and Iran. 'There's a growing concern that Israel been a bigger sense of unpredictability," Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said. He also warned that "there's still no game plan to deal with the loose ends of Iran's nuclear program and its other activities in the region,' such as support for the Houthis.
Toronto Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Trump hosts Gulf leaders at White House as new violence raises questions about progress toward peace
Published Jul 16, 2025 • 3 minute read President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Alex Brandon / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is hosting a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace on the Middle East. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and was set to have dinner with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. With little progress to share on the region's most intractable problems, including the war in Gaza, Trump was more focused Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. 'Anything they needed, we helped them,' Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 'And anything we needed, they helped us.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bahrain is a longtime ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which operates in the Middle East. Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa was eager to highlight the lucrative potential of diplomatic ties with the U.S., including $17 billion of investments. 'And this is real,' he said. 'It's real money. These aren't fake deals.' According to the White House, the agreements include purchasing American airplanes, jet engines and computer servers. More investments could be made in aluminum production and artificial intelligence. Bahrain's king, the crown prince's father, is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year. An important part of the relationship will be an agreement, signed on Wednesday, to advance cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a member of the country's ruling family, is scheduled to attend a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Trump visited Qatar during his trip to the region, marveling at its palaces and stopping at the Al Udeid Air Base, a key U.S. military facility. The base was targeted by Iran after the U.S. bombed the country's nuclear facilities. One ballistic missile made impact, while others were intercepted. Trump wants to use a luxurious Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as his Air Force One because he's tired of waiting for Boeing to finish new planes. However, the arrangement has stirred concerns about security and the ethics of accepting a gift from a foreign government. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said 'the Gulf represents everything that Trump believes is right about the Middle East.' 'It's rich, it's stable, it's populated by authoritarians with whom the president feels very comfortable,' he said. Fighting in Syria The fighting in Syria began with clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the country's south. Government forces intervened, raising alarms in Israel, where the Druze are a politically influential religious minority. On Wednesday, Israel launched strikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus. A ceasefire was later announced, but it was unclear if it would hold. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office for Trump's meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain, said the fighting was the result of 'an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding.' He said 'we think we're on our way to a real de-escalation' that would allow Syria to 'get back on track' to rebuilding after years of civil war. Despite an international outcry over its punishing military operations in Gaza, Israel has successfully weakened its enemies around the region, including Hezbollah and Iran. 'There's a growing concern that Israel unleashed…has been a bigger sense of unpredictability,' Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said. He also warned that 'there's still no game plan to deal with the loose ends of Iran's nuclear program and its other activities in the region,' such as support for the Houthis. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Celebrity Crime Toronto Maple Leafs Entertainment Editorial Cartoons
