During his Riyadh speech at the US-Saudi Investment Forum President Trump asked Iran to choose a “new and better path” for nuclear deal negotiations by prioritizing peace instead of conflict. Trump initiated his Middle East tour by stating his desire for partnerships even though he acknowledged deep differences between nations after envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials. Trump expressed optimism about Saudi Arabia becoming part of the Abraham Accords to recognize Israel yet Saudi Arabia requires a Palestinian state established on 1967 borders for this to happen. The October 2023 Hamas attack interrupted previous Saudi-Israeli efforts toward normalization. Trump will meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa who took power after Bashar Assad’s removal because Gulf leaders support Syria’s new government to fight against Iranian influence. The United States approaches al-Sharaa’s position with careful attention. The speech supports Trump’s overall trade and security strategy which includes China and UK tariff agreements to create market stability. The region’s economic transformation which Trump wants to use for US investment and stability receives backing from Saudi Arabia through its AI and cloud infrastructure development supported by Nvidia’s chip agreement.
