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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US negotiating Israel-Gaza ceasefire with Hamas through American in Doha, source says
The US has been talking with Hamas through an American intermediary in Doha this week in hopes of brokering an Israel-Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to a source familiar with the matter, as US officials say President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with Israel's handling of the conflict. The talks have been led on the US side by Bishara Bahbah, the American-Palestinian who led the group 'Arab Americans for Trump' during the 2024 presidential campaign and who has been working on behalf of the administration, the source said. Bahbah remotely exchanged messages with Hamas earlier this year in what became a critical backchannel to secure Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, the source said. Israel also began indirect talks with Hamas in the Qatari capital on Saturday, and working level dialogue continues. But bolstering the line between the Trump administration and Hamas could give US officials a clearer sense of Hamas's position, particularly as Trump's frustrations have mounted. In the past, the US has gone through Qatar and Egypt to correspond with Hamas. 'It tells me that they think they have a real negotiation happening. They want their own Hamas channel, not through Qatar or Egypt. That is an indicator that they think they can cut through the issues more effectively and also that they think they can influence Hamas,' said Dennis Ross, a former US envoy to the Middle East who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. But some other regional experts are skeptical that this channel could lead to a breakthrough, given that Bahbah has limited experience and the Hamas decision makers are based in Gaza. But they argue it underscores that Trump is willing to work around Israel. 'I am not sure if this is a sign of desperation or confusion,' said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 'Maybe they see him as a window into Hamas thinking, it is certainly plausible.' The growing frustrations among Trump and his top aides with Israel boil down to a key issue: the president wants the war to end – and soon. Trump, multiple sources familiar with the matter said, has been 'annoyed' on several occasions with the pace of talks. And Netanyahu, they fear, is not ready to deal. 'The president obviously wants a deal,' a person close to Trump told CNN. 'It's becoming more clear as talks continue that Bibi isn't quite there.' With Israel launching renewed strikes in Gaza, Vice President JD Vance opted not to visit the country over the weekend following his trip to Italy – a decision sources said was driven in part by logistics, and in part because his presence could have been viewed as a dramatic endorsement of the attacks. 'It would be hard to view the US as truly independent if he had gone,' the official added, calling it 'an overly generous signal of support for what Israel is doing.' Axios first reported on Trump's frustrations and the reasoning behind Vance's decision to skip a stop in Israel. The sources cautioned that Trump's frustrations do not amount to a change in posture in the United States' support of Israel, a country which the president continues to view as one of America's strongest allies. Nor is Trump privately pressuring Israel to halt its renewed military operation in the Gaza strip, said a source familiar with the matter. National Security Council Spokesman Max Bluestein argued in a statement to CNN that it 'is absolutely false' that the administration is frustrated with Israel. 'Israel has had no better friend than President Trump. We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to ensure that remaining hostages in Gaza are freed, that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and that every opportunity for regional economic prosperity – especially the expansion of the Abraham Accords – is exploited. As Secretary [Marco] Rubio explained over the weekend, 'What the President is saying is he doesn't want to end the war until Hamas is defeated,'' Bluestein said. Trump has shown a willingness to approach US foreign policy moves without direct adherence to Israel in recent months, including the announcement of a ceasefire with the Houthis – that did not include strikes on Israel and continued Iran deal talks while Israel has pushed for strikes on Iran's nuclear program. 'There is a litany of actions lately reflecting that Trump will do what he thinks is in the US interest and Israeli considerations aren't foremost in his mind. It's not reflecting a break necessarily with Israel but it's an effort to put energy into US interests,' Ross said. Keeping US interests front and center – especially efforts that Trump wants to pursue in the region more broadly – the administration remains focused on trying to secure a Gaza ceasefire. Bahbah has been coordinating his efforts with Steve Witkoff, the president's Middle East envoy who has also been directly in touch with Netanyahu and his aides. Witkoff recently put forward a new proposal to both Israel and Hamas that could serve as the foundation to getting both sides to agree to another ceasefire, Trump administration officials said. One of the officials said that the US wants humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Gaza, something the Israelis acquiesced to on Sunday after blocking aid into the strip for nearly 11 weeks. Israel 'can achieve their objective of defeating Hamas while still allowing aid to enter in sufficient quantities,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. 'You have this acute, immediate challenge of food and aid not reaching people, and you have existing distribution systems that could get them there,' Rubio told the Senate Appropriations Committee. Asked if it is an emergency humanitarian situation, Rubio conceded it is. 'Ultimately, I think we all see the same images,' he said. The Trump administration was also pleased with how the talks with Hamas to release Alexander, the last known living American hostage in Gaza, unfolded in recent weeks. Instead of shutting down the channel between Hamas and Bahbah, they elevated it, signing off on in-person talks in Doha. 'His release was widely viewed internally as a goodwill gesture,' a White House official told CNN, adding that they saw the move as a key opportunity to draw Israel and Hamas back to the negotiating table. But just days later, Israeli military forces moved into northern and southern Gaza as part of the 'Gideon's Chariots' operation, which Israel warned would take place if Hamas did not agree to a deal to release hostages. The fresh attacks did little to reassure US officials that a potential ceasefire deal was on the horizon. But Trump's frustrations with Netanyahu began even before the war took another deadly turn this week, the sources familiar with the matter said. One such instance was when the Israeli Prime Minister met privately with the president's then-National Security Adviser, Michael Waltz, at the White House to discuss military options against Iran prior to a scheduled meeting in the Oval Office with Trump. The meeting, first reported by the Washington Post, has been cited as a key point of Trump's frustration with Waltz, who was later ousted from his position. But a source familiar with the matter said Trump also took issue with Netanyahu potentially trying to influence Waltz on a sensitive topic before raising it with Trump directly. CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will Trump's Order To Lift U.S. Sanctions on Syria Be Followed?
President Donald Trump ordered something last week that previously seemed impossible: lifting U.S. economic sanctions. At a U.S.-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh, he declared that he was "ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness." Then he shook hands with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new Syrian president, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani. As Trump alluded to in his speech, U.S. sanctions were imposed to put pressure on the previous government of Bashar Assad. When Sharaa overthrew Assad late last year, the embargo outlived its policy purpose. But the devil is in the details. Sanctions are a complicated bureaucratic knot to untangle. Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, warned on X that "people in [Trump's] own administration are trying to stop it or slow it down severely." And a Syrian government minister tells Reason that a U.S. delegation has come with a set of "requests" for Syria to fulfill. The Caesar Civilian Protection Act, passed after Assad had fought a civil war against rebels to a standstill, punishes foreign investment in reconstructing areas under the Syrian government's control. There is also a general U.S. trade embargo on Syria passed by executive order. And Sharaa himself is a designated terrorist because of his past fighting for Al Qaeda, which he later violently turned against. Turkey and the oil-rich Arab monarchies are keen to invest in Syria's postwar reconstruction without incurring U.S. sanctions. After Trump's announcement, a company in the United Arab Emirates signed an $800 million deal to develop Syrian ports. On Tuesday, the European Union lifted all remaining sanctions on Syria. Later that day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in favor of sanctions relief to Congress. Syria's neighbors "want to start helping them, and they can't, because they're afraid of our sanctions," he said. Rubio added that the administration can only issue temporary waivers, so permanent sanctions relief would require Congress to repeal the Caesar Act. As Rubio was speaking, Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa was giving a speech at Oxford University about his lofty hopes for Syria's revolution. (One of them was abolishing his own job: "In a democratic country, you don't need a ministry of information.") In his speech, Mustafa alluded to "requests" recently brought to Syria by a U.S. delegation. "They sent their requests, 10 requests, for the Syrian government, especially about counterterrorism, how the Syrian government deals with minorities, and also the military existence [sic] in Syria," he explained to Reason after the event. "We sent our response. It's an ongoing process." On the military question, Mustafa clarified that the U.S. and Syria were discussing matters such as intelligence sharing and interactions with U.S. troops currently on the ground, but not a permanent U.S. military presence. He was ambiguous on whether these requests would get in the way of sanctions relief: "It's not 100 percent conditional." The U.S. State Department has not responded to a request for comment. After the Trump-Sharaa handshake, the White House stated that Trump had asked Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords, a U.S.-sponsored alliance between Israel and Arab states. Mustafa told the audience at Oxford, however, that the Abraham Accords were off the table for now. "Normalizing with Israel is not a part of the American requests sent to the Syrian government. Different delegations from the U.S., from Western countries, came to Syria and asked if you can join the Abraham Accords. The [Syrian] governmental response was also clear. The Abraham Accords are between [sic] a state, Israel, that doesn't occupy their countries," he said. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during a 1967 war and seized an additional buffer zone after Assad fell. The Israeli government has promised to stay for an "unlimited time" and threatened to push further in response to attacks on Syria's Druze minority, a religious community that has political sway within Israel. In indirect talks with Israel, the Syrian government is not demanding the Golan back, only a return to the pre-2024 front lines. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee argues that any change to the sanctions "must be based on a sustained demonstration of positive behavior from the new Syrian government." Factions within Washington itself have also tried to push Trump away from sanctions relief. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch (R–Idaho) said during a hearing last week that Trump lifted sanctions "a little more robustly than we had in mind. Nonetheless we're still in a wait and see, and those sanctions that were taken off, they can be put back on." Within the Trump administration itself, the loudest voices against engagement with the new Syria have reportedly been Sebastian Gorka, who runs counterterrorism at the White House's National Security Council, and Joel Rayburn, who has been appointed assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs. (Risch was speaking at Rayburn's confirmation hearing.) Rayburn has denounced Sharaa as "delusional" and a would-be "dictator," while Gorka has focused on Sharaa's past fighting for Al Qaeda. "Jihadis very rarely moderate, especially after they win," Gorka told an audience at the Politico Security Summit last week, adding that Trump's engagement with Sharaa is "not unconditional." Rubio, however, insists that integrating Syria back into the world economy is urgent to stabilize the country—and that the risks of isolation are greater than the risks of engagement. "The transitional authority figures, they didn't pass their background check with the FBI. They've got a tough history and one that we understand. But on the flip side of it is, if we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed not to work out," Rubio told Congress. "In fact, it is our assessment that frankly, the transitional authorities, given the challenges they are facing, are maybe weeks—not many months—away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions." The post Will Trump's Order To Lift U.S. Sanctions on Syria Be Followed? appeared first on
Gulf Insider
13-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Trump's Gulf Tour: $1T Deals, Gulf Summit & Name Change
US President Donald Trump has embarked on a three-day visit to the Gulf, his first official foreign trip since retaking office in January. The high-stakes tour kicks off in Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with significant economic and geopolitical objectives on the table. This marks Trump's second overseas visit since returning to the White House, following his attendance at Pope Francis's funeral in Rome last first: Breaking tradition again Trump arrives in Riyadh on Tuesday, continuing a tradition from his first term, when he chose Saudi Arabia as his first international destination, breaking with the longstanding tradition of visiting the UK, Canada or Mexico. He is set to attend a Gulf summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, visit Qatar later that day, and conclude his tour in the UAE on Thursday. Trump won't be able to avoid diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places. 'Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America's strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,' analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote Friday. One of the primary objectives of Trump's visit is securing major economic deals, including a $1 trillion Saudi investment in US industries — a notable expansion of the $600 billion pledge made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this year. The push for such deals comes as the US faces declining economic growth, marking its first drop in output in three years. Regional leaders are eager for Trump to reassure them about US security commitments. 'Security, security and security' is what Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states seek most from Trump's visit, said Ali Shihabi, an author and commentator on the politics and economics of Saudi Arabia. 'Gulf States are looking for reassurance of the US security commitment to the Gulf's stability,' Shihabi told CNN. 'Trump has many priorities and has been known to lose interest quickly … and they want to keep him engaged.' Last year, the US and Saudi Arabia came close to finalising a landmark defence and trade pact – but the deal stalled over Saudi Arabia's insistence that Israel commit to a path toward Palestinian statehood. Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, told CNN's Becky Anderson that Trump is likely to move ahead with major deals regardless of normalisation, which he said is 'dead.' Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the president wants to expand the Abraham Accords, under which the UAE and Bahrain recognised Israel during Trump's first term, to include Saudi Arabia. Talks were reportedly under way on Saudi Arabia joining the accords, but after Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paused those discussions. In a symbolic shift, Trump has stated he may decide during his trip how the US refers to the body of water between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Currently known as the 'Persian Gulf' in US circles, Trump may opt for the terms 'Arabian Gulf' or 'Gulf of Arabia' instead, sparking interest in the region over this diplomatic decision. In the UAE, Trump is to meet President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing. In March, the UAE announced a $1.4 trillion investment plan over 10 years focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. Its existing US investments already total $1 trillion, according to the UAE embassy in Washington. 'The UAE sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a significant contributor in AI and advanced technology,' Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, told CNN. 'The commitment to invest $1.4 trillion… aligns with the UAE's goal to diversify its economy away from its over reliance on hydrocarbons to ensure prosperity for the country in the future.' In Qatar, where the US maintains its largest military base in the region, Trump is expected to meet with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss military cooperation and regional security. Given Qatar's close relationship with Syria's leadership, there may also be discussions about easing sanctions on Syria. Israel is absent from Trump's itinerary, a notable omission amid rising tensions in Gaza. Sources suggest Israel had hoped for a visit during the trip, but Trump dismissed the possibility, stating, 'We will be doing it at some point, but not for this trip.' A US official told Axios that 'nothing good can come out of a visit to Israel at the moment,' as the conflict in Gaza intensifies. Trump's Gulf tour, focused on economic partnerships, regional security, and geopolitical alignment, is shaping up to be a critical moment for US influence in the region. His actions could set the stage for future diplomatic breakthroughs, including potential shifts in Saudi-Israel relations and a redefined US-Gulf relationship. Also read: Trump Arrives In Saudi Arabia Tuesday On Gulf Tour Aiming For Economic Wins And Stronger Regional Ties
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump touches down in UK as Air Force One lands on way to Middle East
Donald Trump has landed in the UK with his plane refuelling at a US airbase as he heads to the Middle East for talks with trouble flaring in Gaza and Iran. Flight restrictions around RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk already indicated the US president's Air Force One jet would land there late on Monday or early on Tuesday en route to an official visit to the Middle East. Legislation published by the Government prohibits unauthorised flights in the area between 11pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday. This is 'for reasons of public safety and security during visits by a head of state', according to a statutory instrument. The same restrictions are in place between 5pm and 10pm on Friday, indicating Air Force One may refuel at RAF Mildenhall again. It took under 26 minutes to refuel Trump's plane on a stopover at the site during a journey to Vietnam in February 2019 during his first term as president, US officials said. There are reports that Trump intends to accept a Boeing 747 plane as a gift from the Qatari royal family during his visit to the Middle East. The plane would be converted to serve as Air Force One. Trump suggested last month that a date for September is being set for him to meet the King in Britain. He told reporters in the White House he was 'invited by the King and the country'. Trump was feted with a grand state visit to Britain, hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, in June 2019 during his first presidency. On his trip to the Middle East, Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran. After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons. Yet Trump will focus his attention on three energy-rich nations home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects — places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals. 'This is his happy place,' said Jon B Alterman, a senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They'll be keen to make deals. They'll flatter him and not criticize him. And they'll treat his family members as past and future business partners.' Trump won't be able to avoid diplomacy on Gaza or Iran. The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places. 'Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America's strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,' analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said. By not scheduling a trip to Israel during his first trip to the region during his second term as president, Trump is reinforcing a feeling in Israel that its interests may not be top of mind for him. That sense intensified last week, when Trump announced that the U.S. would halt its strikes on the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen that agreed to stop its attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea.
The Hill
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump visiting Gulf Arab states while crises flare in Gaza and Iran
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — On his trip this week to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran. After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons. Yet Trump will focus his attention on three energy-rich nations home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects — places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals. 'This is his happy place,' said Jon B. Alterman, a senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They'll be keen to make deals. They'll flatter him and not criticize him. And they'll treat his family members as past and future business partners.' But Trump won't be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places. 'Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America's strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,' analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote Friday. By not scheduling a trip to Israel during his first trip to the region during his second term as president, Trump is reinforcing a feeling in Israel that its interests may not be top of mind for him. That sense intensified last week, when Trump announced that the U.S. would halt its strikes on the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen that agreed to stop its attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis' attacks on Israel did not appear to be covered by that deal, which came as a surprise to Israel, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic issue. Days after the deal between the U.S. and the Houthis — and despite a two-day Israeli assault on Houthi targets — a missile from Yemen again set off air raid sirens in Israel. Then Israel's military warned Sunday that Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen could be targeted again. Trump's move to launch negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program also jarred Israel, which fears a deal that would not be strict enough to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or rein in its support for regional militant groups. Israel had hoped that Trump might provide military assistance in any strike it carried out on the country's nuclear facilities — an action that is unrealistic so long as there are negotiations, or if they reach a deal. That has raised questions in Israel over Trump's reliability on other major issues, like a long-sought normalization deal with Saudi Arabia as part of any defense pact the administration may reach with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has said it would only normalize ties with Israel in exchange for significant concessions for the Palestinians toward statehood, something the current Israeli government is unlikely to agree to. Israel has said it will hold off on expanding the war in Gaza until after Trump's visit, leaving the window open for a new ceasefire deal to materialize. And while Hamas and Trump announced that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be freed as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, it is not clear what involvement Israel had in that deal. Still, Trump has given Israel free rein in Gaza and, like Israel, blames Hamas for any civilian casualties. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee played down any significance to Trump's decision not to visit the country, saying in interviews with Israeli media that his visit to the region was focused on economic issues. For Iran, much depends on the talks it is having with the U.S. over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. A reported two-month deadline to reach a deal likely has passed as U.S. officials signal America may push for Iran to give up enrichment entirely — something Tehran has insisted is a red line. Although four rounds of talks mediated by Oman have not led to a major breakthrough, they have gone into the so-called 'expert level' — meaning specifics about any possible accord likely have been discussed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled over the weekend to both Saudi Arabia and Qatar ahead of Trump's trip. Iran likely is trying to pass messages to the U.S. while signaling its interest in continuing the talks. Iranian officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon, while Trump and Israel have both threatened to strike Iranian nuclear sites if a deal isn't reached. The Islamic Republic is running out of options. Its economy has cratered since Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled America out of their initial nuclear deal with world powers. And Iran's self-described 'Axis of Resistance' — a group of aligned nations and militant groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — has been mauled since the Israel-Hamas war began. Iran also faces internal political pressure, including from women increasingly refusing to wear the state-mandated headscarf, or hijab. There is one thing that unites most Iranians, however — pride over the Persian Gulf. Trump's consideration of having America uniformly call the body of water the 'Arabian Gulf' instead drew fierce criticism from across the country. 'This gulf has always been the Persian Gulf — and it will forever remain the Persian Gulf,' Tehran's Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said. After starting his trip in Saudi Arabia, Trump will then go to Qatar, which recently announced plans for a Trump-branded development there. This tight embrace of the president comes after his first trip to the Middle East — in 2017 — apparently sparked what became known as the Qatar crisis. That is when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE boycotted Qatar over its support of Islamists in the region and its ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field. The dispute grew so serious that Kuwait's ruling emir at the time, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, suggested on a visit to the White House there could have been 'military action.' Trump initially criticized Qatar as having 'historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level' at the start of the boycott. Less than a year later, he praised Qatar and rolled that back. The four nations ended their boycott just before Biden took office. Then on Sunday, President Donald Trump said he was ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East. U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft — which would amount to the president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government With crude oil prices trading just over $60 a barrel — lows not seen since 2021 — one major criticism Trump has for the Gulf states isn't there. The question is how Trump will deal with the region's multitude of crises and still-tender wounds. To avoid a repeat of the 2017 diplomatic crisis, Trump 'should reemphasize efforts to unite the Gulf' said Dent and Henderson, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. ___ Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
