Trump lays out Mideast vision as he looks to revamp US approach in Iran,
Syria and beyond
[May 14, 2025]
By ZEKE MILLER, AAMER MADHANI and JON GAMBRELL
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday held out
Saudi Arabia as a model for a reimagined Middle East, using the first
major foreign trip of his term to emphasize the promise of economic
prosperity over instability in a region reeling from multiple wars.
Offering partnership to longtime foes, Trump said he would move to lift
sanctions on Syria and normalize relations with the new government led
by a former insurgent, and he touted the U.S. role in bringing about a
fragile ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis. But Trump also indicated his
patience was not endless, as he urged Iran to make a new nuclear deal
with the U.S. or risk severe economic and military consequences.
With his carrot and stick approach, Trump gave the clearest indication
yet of his vision for remaking the region, where goals of fostering
human rights and democracy promotion have been replaced by an emphasis
on economic prosperity and regional stability.
Trump also made a pitch to Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords
started in his first term and recognize Israel. And he envisioned a
hopeful future for the people of Gaza — emphasizing they must first cast
off the influence of Hamas.
“As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and
forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our
differences may be profound,” Trump said as he laid out his outlook for
the region in a speech at an investment forum.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, welcomed
Trump to the kingdom with royal flourishes and lavished attention on him
at every turn. It was a stark contrast to the crown prince’s awkward
fist bump in 2022 with then-President Joe Biden, who tried to avoid
being seen on camera shaking hands with him during a visit to the
kingdom.
Trump shows disdain for ‘nation-builders’ and interventionists
The Republican president made the case for a vision centered in
pragmatism. It's something he sees as a necessity for the U.S., which he
believes is still feeling the ill effects of 20 years of "endless war"
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than
they built, and the interventionists were intervening in complex
societies that they did not even understand themselves," Trump said.
Trump used the moment to extend an olive branch to Iran and urge its
leaders to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its
nuclear program. But he also warned that this opportunity to find a
diplomatic solution “won't last forever.”
“If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch ... we will have no
choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil
exports to zero,” he said.
The latest entreaty to Tehran comes days after Trump dispatched special
envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials for a fourth round of
talks aimed at persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear program.
Trump, in his speech, also said he hoped Saudi Arabia will recognize
Israel “in your own time.”
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 worst periods it has faced.
Trump moving to restore relations with new leader of Syria
Separately, Trump announced he was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria. He
is expected to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President
Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime insurgent who last year led the overthrow
of longtime leader Bashar Assad.
The U.S. has been weighing how to handle al-Sharaa since he took power
in December. Gulf leaders have rallied behind the new government in
Damascus and want Trump to follow suit, believing it is a bulwark
against Iran’s return to influence in Syria, where it had helped prop up
Assad’s government during a decadelong civil war.
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President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
exchange documents during a signing ceremony at the Royal Palace,
Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump said calls from Gulf leaders as well as Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaped his surprise announcement.
“So I say, good luck, Syria, show us something very special like
they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia,” Trump said.
Prince Mohammed carefully choreographed the visit as he looked to
flatter Trump.
The de facto Saudi leader greeted Trump warmly as he stepped off Air
Force One at King Khalid International Airport. The two leaders then
retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his
aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants
wearing ceremonial gun belts.
The leaders signed more than a dozen agreements to increase
cooperation between their governments' militaries, justice
departments and cultural institutions.
The crown prince has already committed to some $600 billion in new
Saudi investment in the U.S. And Trump teased $1 trillion would be
even better.
Fighter jet escort
The pomp began before Trump even landed. Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s
provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the
kingdom’s capital — an exceptionally rare sight.
Trump and Prince Mohammed also took part in a formal greeting and
lunch at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah Palace, gathering with guests
and aides in an ornate room with blue and gold accents and massive
crystal chandeliers. As he greeted business titans with Trump by his
side, the crown prince was animated and smiling.
Biden's 2022 visit was far more restrained. At the time, Prince
Mohammed’s reputation had been badly damaged by a U.S. intelligence
determination that he had ordered the 2018 killing of journalist
Jamal Khashoggi.
But that dark moment appeared to be distant memory for the prince on
Tuesday as he rubbed elbows with high-profile business executives —
including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock CEO
Larry Fink and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — in front of the
cameras and with Trump by his side.
Trump slammed Biden for “spurning” a “most trusted and long-standing
partner."
“We have great partners in the world, but we have none stronger and
nobody like the gentleman that’s right before me,” Trump said of the
prince. “He’s your greatest representative.”
Later, the crown prince feted Trump with an intimate state dinner at
Ad-Diriyah, a UNESCO heritage site that is the birthplace of the
first Saudi state and the location of a major development project
championed by the crown prince.
Qatar and UAE next
The three countries on Trump's itinerary — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and
the United Arab Emirates — are places where the Trump Organization,
run by Trump's two oldest sons, is developing major real estate
projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel
in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar.
Trump planned to announce deals at all three stops during the
Mideast swing, initiatives that will touch on artificial
intelligence, expanding energy cooperation and beyond.
.And Trump believes more deals with Saudi Arabia should be in the
offing.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said at one point
with a smiling crown prince sitting nearby.
___
Madhani reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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