Trump's Saudi Arabia, Qatar and VAE visit is critical

London – US President Donald Trump's tour through the Middle East is a classic mix of pomp and scandal.

The reporting on the trip to the American media was dominated by the outrage among us about Mr. Trump's obvious intention to accept a catari gift from a Boeing 747-8 business aircraft. With over 400 million US dollars ($ 520 million), it is by far the most complex gift that every American guide has ever received.

“Corruption is brazen,” said the alleged Senator Adam Schiff from California, who headed the first office procedure against Mr. Trump in 2019.

However, the reality of this controversy and predictable US media reporting on fabulous golf sheet with golden palaces in the sand is that the president's journey is an essential diplomatic commitment that has a significant and durable influence on the region.

Mr. Trump is really liked and admired in the Golf. In contrast to his immediate predecessor Joe Biden, who came to the office to raffle Shun Saudi Arabia and his leaders-to determine that he took both the pro-Western monarchies of the region from the start.

The people of the most powerful kingdom in the region “Think of the American president as a direct businessman who speaks interests and not of values ​​who do not keep them about human rights and shares their own dislike of Woke Progressive Dogma”. Michael Ratney, America's top envoy in Saudi Arabia during the Biden Presidency, in an op-ED published in the New York Times.

Of course, the effective reception that Mr. Trump received in Golf Capitals was carefully choreographed, but it was also real.

As a master in the masses of the masses, he showered the people in the region with praise – not something that the Arabs of the Gulf had used to climbing from former US leaders.

Mr. Trump stood in Riad, the capital of the nation, in front of a huge Saudi flag in Riad, the capital of the nation, not only the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the DE -FACTO leader of the country, but also praised the people in Saudi Arabia for their economic and social development results.

“You did it yourself,” he said in comments that are now constantly repeated in media networks of the local government.

The leaders of the region find it easier to deal with an American billionaire who can offer important political concessions in return for business agreements of several million dollars and prefer simple answers to complicated problems.

Such a sudden answer to a thorny problem in the Middle East was to make Mr. Trump's decision to make Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Until recently, Mr. Sharaa, who came to power in December 2024, after his movement had successfully overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime, which ruled Syria for more than half a century, as a presumed terrorist an American premium of $ 10 million on his head.

And the Hayat Tahrir al-sham militia that he leads the United States continues to be listed as a terrorist organization.

But after a short encounter with the Syrian leader in the Saudi capital, which lasted almost 40 minutes, Mr. Trump not only announced that he immediately lifted all the economic sanctions of the United States for more than a decade, but also praised Mr. Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy” with a “strong paster” and an “extraordinary occasion”.

Mr. Sharaa in turn stood on Mr. Trump's Decision As “a historical and courageous decision that alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth and places the basics of stability in the region”.

Mr. Trump appears confusing in Syria. But it is undoubtedly the right one.

The new Syrian government is affected by domestic problems and still has to prove that it is sincerely in its promise to rule the country for the benefit of all multi -ethnic people.

However, none of this can happen as long as the Syria's economy remains crippled by sanctions. European powers led by France have been arguing for months that the sanctions should be lifted. As long as the US sanctions exist, no European company dared to act with Syria.

Now this obstacle Was removed in a single blow to the cheers of ordinary Syrians who took to the streets to express their joy.

The decision is a great victory for the Saudi crown prince, since it signals its ability to influence Mr. Trump's policy that Saudi -Arabia's call emphasizes as the main fixer in the Middle East.

At the same time, Mr. Trump's abrupt political change is a serious blow to Israel, who has retained a deeply hostile attitude Compared to the new Syrian government and launched repeated military ideas in the Syrian territory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nldjtjfr02g

The US President also delighted his hosts by pursuing a reserved approach in Iran. While the Gulf States are careful with the nuclear intentions of the Iranian nuclear, they fear a military confrontation between Iran and the USA much more.

The United States has continued to draw the pressure on Iran. On May 14th, his Ministry of Foreign Affairs struck sanctions against companies and individuals in China and Hong Kong for their alleged participation in the Iranian rocket development program.

During his trip, Trump swore that he would never allow Iran to maintain a nuclear weapon, but also emphasized his commitment to diplomatic efforts.

“There are only two courses,” he said. “A friendly and not friendly and non-friendly course is a violent course. I don't want that.”

In return, his Arabic hosts did not push him too much on the question of the Gaza Strip.

The need of the Palestinians remains the top in the heads of the Arab leaders. However, they are all aware of the cooling conditions between Mr. Trump and Israel and have decided carefully that this is not the time in which the US President should publicly criticize close ties to Israel.

The claims of the White House that the trade agreements signed by the President with Qatar alone could “generate” up to 1.2 trillion dollars in “economic exchange” are deliberately vague and exaggerated.

Nevertheless, Mr. Trump's tour through the Middle East was undoubtedly a round of victory for him and a game channel for the region-even if the Qatarian-tensioned jet ultimately does not serve as a new Air Force One.

• Jonathan Eyal, who is based in London and Brussels, writes about global political and security matter.

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