Trump in Saudi address encourages Iran toward a ‘new and a better path’ as he presses for a nuclear agreement

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AP) In a speech in Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump pushed Iran to choose a “new and better path” as he presses for a fresh nuclear deal.

During a four-day trip to the Middle East, Trump stated at a US-Saudi investment conference that he wishes to avoid conflict with Tehran.

“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,” Mr. Trump said.

The remarks came as Trump began his Mideast trip on Tuesday with a visit to the Saudi capital. The new appeal to Tehran comes just days after Trump sent his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with Iranian officials for a fourth round of negotiations aimed at convincing Iran to halt its nuclear program.

“As President of the United States, my preference will always be for peace and partnership, whenever those outcomes can be achieved,” Mr. Trump stated.

He also expressed his hope that Saudi Arabia will soon sign the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel “in your own time.”

Saudi Arabia has long held that recognition of Israel requires the formation of a Palestinian state within Israel’s 1967 borders. The Biden administration pushed for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel as part of a significant diplomatic agreement. However, the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, derailed such preparations, plunging the area into one of its worst periods.

Separately, the White House announced that Trump will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former guerrilla who spearheaded the downfall of previous President Bashar Assad last year, on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.

The United States has been debating how to deal with al-Sharaa since he gained office in December. Gulf leaders have rallied behind Damascus’ new administration and will urge Trump to follow suit, seeing it as a bulwark against Iran’s return to power in Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad’s regime throughout a decade-long civil war.

Trump also inked a slew of commercial and bilateral cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, kicking off a four-day trip to the Middle East with an emphasis on striking deals with a crucial ally.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, greeted Trump cordially as he walked off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport. The two leaders then went to a stately ballroom at Riyadh International Airport, where waiting waiters wearing ceremonial gun belts served traditional Arabic coffee to Trump and his advisors.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump added later, during a brief appearance with the crown prince to kick off a bilateral meeting.

They later inked over a dozen agreements to strengthen collaboration between their respective military, law agencies, and cultural organizations. Additional business deals were anticipated to be signed later Tuesday at a US-Saudi investment conference arranged for the occasion.

Prince Mohammed has already pledged to $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the United States, but Trump suggested that $1 trillion would be even better.

Fighter jet escort

The celebrations began before Trump even landed. F-15s from the Royal Saudi Air Force gave an honorary escort for Air Force One as it neared the kingdom’s capital, an extremely unusual sight.

Trump and Prince Mohammed also attended a ceremonial welcome and lunch at Al Yamamah Palace’s Royal Court, where they gathered with guests and advisers in an opulent chamber decorated with blue and gold accents and large crystal chandeliers.

Prince Mohammed was lively and smiling as he welcomed business giants, accompanied by Trump.

It was in sharp contrast to his uncomfortable fist bump with then-President Joe Biden, who appeared to avoid being photographed shaking hands with the prince during a 2022 visit to the country.

Biden had chosen to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia in order to reduce skyrocketing gasoline costs for motorists both at home and abroad. At the moment, Prince Mohammed’s reputation had been severely harmed by a US intelligence finding that he had ordered the 2018 murder of writer Jamal Khashoggi.

However, that tragic period looked to be a distant memory for the prince as he mingled 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.

Later, the crown prince will honor Trump with an exclusive state dinner at Ad-Diriyah, a UNESCO heritage site that is the birthplace of the first Saudi kingdom and the location of a significant development project championed by the crown prince.

Oil production

Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members have already helped their case with Trump early in his second term by increasing oil output. Trump sees inexpensive energy as a critical component in decreasing expenses and slowing inflation for Americans. The Republican president has also said that reduced oil prices will speed the end of the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, Saudi Arabia’s economy remains largely reliant on oil, with the country requiring a fiscal break-even oil price of $96 to $98 per barrel to balance its budget. It’s unclear how long OPEC+, of which Saudi Arabia is the dominant member, is ready to keep output high. The price of a barrel of Brent crude finished Monday at $64.77.