President Donald Trump tours Persian Gulf allies to push $2T in deals, counter Iran and revive U.S. influence amid Gaza war, nuclear tensions.
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PresidentDonaldTrumpisembarkingthisweekonahigh-stakestourofthePersianGulfregion,targetingbusinessdealsandstrategicpartnershipswiththreeoil-richnations:SaudiArabia,theUnitedArabEmiratesandQatar.
ThetripmarksTrump’sfirstmajorforeignvisitofhisnewtermandcomesasnuclearnegotiationswithIrandragonandaswarcontinuesbetweenIsraelandthePalestinianterrororganization,Hamas,intheGazaStrip.Whilebusinessistheofficialfocus,thebackdropisanythingbutcalm.
WhiteHousepresssecretaryKarolineLeavittdescribedthemissionaspartofTrump’sbroadervisionthat“extremismisdefeated[through]commerceandculturalexchanges.”
UnderformerPresidentJoeBiden,U.S.relationswithGulfstatescooled,particularlyafterBidenvowedtomakeSaudiCrownPrinceMohammedbinSalmana“pariah”overthe2018killingofjournalistJamalKhashoggi.ButTrumphasreversedcourse,embracingamoretransactionalapproachthathasw
