Middle East trip highlights President Donald Trump's 17th week in office

President Donald Trump invested his 17th week as commander-in-chief going to the Middle East, marking his very first significant abroad journey of his 2nd term.

The president left Washington, D.C., Monday for Saudi Arabia, followed by a check out in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The president’s journey comes amidst the continuing war in between Israel and Hamas, continuous U.S.-Iran settlements over Iran’s nuclear program, and his strategies to widen his very first administration’s Abraham Accords, which stabilized diplomatic relations in between Israel and Arab League countries such as the United Arab Emirates.

TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘INTERVENTIONALISTS,’ PITCHES ‘MORE CONFIDENT FUTURE’ IN MIDDLE EAST SPEECH

Trump showed up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, early Tuesday early morning, with the country sending out fighter jet escorts to invite Flying force One to the ground and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Trump on the tarmac, which was embellished with a lavender-colored carpet.

Upon his arrival to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump was likewise met a mobile and functional McDonald’s truck.

The president, throughout a speech in Riyadh soon after meeting Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, swore to continue America’s collaboration with the Saudi Arabian federal government, however likewise required peace in the Middle East, prompting the area to pursue financial advancement instead of Iran’s “self-destructive” course.

” If the accountable countries of this area take this minute, put aside your distinctions and concentrate on the interests that unify you, then all mankind will quickly be surprised at what we will see here in the geographical center of the world, and the spiritual heart of its biggest faiths,” Trump stated.

” Before our eyes, a brand-new generation of leaders is going beyond the ancient disputes and worn out departments of the past, and creating a future where the Middle East is specified by commerce, not turmoil; where it exports innovation, not terrorism; and where individuals of various countries, faiths, and creeds are constructing cities together, not battle each other,” he included.

Trump’s speech followed he and Salman signed a number of financial arrangements amounting to $600 billion in trade offers. The arrangements might assist produce approximately 2 million U.S. tasks, Trump stated.

Numerous of the arrangements tracked with formerly specified aspirations by both Washington, D.C., and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, especially when it pertains to protective offers.

President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman go to a finalizing event at the Saudi Royal Court on Might 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ( Getty Images)

SAUDIS DEPLOY MOBILE MCDONALD’S FOR TRUMP’S JOURNEY TO THE KINGDOM

However when it comes to Iran, Trump, throughout his Saudi Arabia speech, likewise cautioned the Islamic Republic of a “enormous optimum pressure” project if it did not pertain to a nuclear arrangement with the U.S.

” As I have actually revealed consistently, I want to end previous disputes and create brand-new collaborations for a much better and more steady world, even if our distinctions might be extensive,” Trump stated. “If Iran’s management declines this olive branch … we will have no option however to cause enormous optimum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to no.”

” Iran can have a much brighter future, however we will never ever permit them to threaten America and our allies with terrorism or a nuclear attack,” Trump stated.

Trump had actually revealed a 60-day amount of time to reach an arrangement with Iran over its unlawful atomic weapons program. The very first U.S. negotiating session with Iran began April 12.

President Donald J. Trump speaks to Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al Thani as he leaves the Al Udeid Air Base for Abu Dhabi on Might 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump’s unique envoy Steve Witkoff met Iranian authorities for a 4th round of nuclear talks over the weekend.

TRUMP STRIKES IRAN’S WALLET AS HE HANGS A CARROT IN MIDDLE EAST SPEECH

The nuclear talks were “tough however beneficial,” Iranian Foreign Ministry representative Esmail Baghaei stated. A U.S. authorities, speaking on condition of privacy to talk about the closed-door settlements, used more, explaining the talks as being both indirect and direct, The Associated Press reported.

An “arrangement was reached to progress with the speak with continue overcoming technical components,” the U.S. authorities stated. “We are motivated by today’s result and anticipate our next conference, which will occur in the future.”

The Trump administration has stated the problematic 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Strategy (JCPOA), likewise referred to as the Iran nuclear offer, did not avoid Iran from constructing an atomic bomb.

Trump, throughout his check out, made plain cautions to Iran– verbally, and through sanctions.

Simply soon after hanging a carrot of a “brighter future” for Iran, the Treasury Department provided a taste of Trump’s “optimal pressure” project and approved more than 2 lots companies running in Iran’s illegal global oil trade.

TRUMP STRIKES IRAN’S WALLET AS HE HANGS A CARROT IN MIDDLE EAST SPEECH

Trump stated Iran has the nuclear “proposition.”

” However more notably, they understand they need to move rapidly or something bad– something bad is going to occur,” the president stated.

Next, the president took a trip to Qatar, where he signed a series of arrangements with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha.

Trump and his motorcade were welcomed by lots of installed camels after his airplane landed in Qatar Wednesday early morning as he continues his four-day journey to the Middle East.

The arrangements there included a buying arrangement by Qatar for Boeing airplane, in addition to letters of intent and “joint cooperation” in between Qatar and the U.S. The emir likewise signed an intent arrangement to acquire MQ-9 drone airplane.

President Donald Trump is welcomed by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as he shows up on Flying force One at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Might 14, 2025. ( Alex Brandon/AP)

Al Thani stated he had a “terrific” discussion with Trump prior to the finalizing event Wednesday, including that the arrangements have actually raised the U.S.-Qatar relationship to “another level.”

The president then met U.S. service members at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and pointed out “significant pay raises” for U.S. soldiers in his 2026 spending plan.

” You lack a doubt the best battling force in the history of the world,” Trump stated. “And as your commander-in-chief, I’m here to state that America’s armed force will quickly be larger, much better, more powerful and more effective than ever.”

Next, the president took a trip to the United Arab Emirates for his last stop– a check out that marked the very first time a U.S. president has actually taken a trip to the country in almost twenty years, following President George W. Bush’s journey in 2008.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the highest structure worldwide, was brightened in red, white and blue in honor of President’s historical UAE check out.

Trump went to the Grand Mosque, an unusual check out for a U.S. president, and was talented the UAE’s greatest civilian honor, the Order of Zayed, by UAE’s President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

President Donald Trump exists the Order of Zayed, the UAE greatest civilian difference, from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday, Might 15, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ( AP/Alex Brandon)

The president finished up his see to the United Arab Emirates with a check out to the Abrahamic Household Home, which incorporates a mosque, a church, a synagogue, and an online forum, and functioned as a neighborhood for inter-religious discussion and tranquil co-existence.

Since today, Trump has actually signed 148 executive orders considering that his inauguration in January, consisting of a tremendous 143 within his very first 100 days as president, overshadowing the variety of executive orders signed by his predecessors extending back to a minimum of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton, Morgan Phillis and Anders Hagstrom added to this report.