close
President Trump spoke to leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region.
President Donald Trump, speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on Wednesday, reiterated his desire to make a deal with Iran and called for building upon the progress of the Abraham Accords by adding more countries to the historic agreement.
Trump made the comments while addressing leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region.
“I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
TRUMP SAYS HE’LL DROP SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS
President Donald Trump speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton on May 14, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump praised the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for “their vision and courage in signing the historic Abraham Accords,” an agreement brokered by the U.S. in 2020. As part of the agreements, the UAE and Bahrain recognized Israel’s sovereignty and established full diplomatic relations. It marked the first time Israel had established peace with an Arab country since 1994, with the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
“In the future, we’ll continue that progress by adding more countries to the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) prepare to pose for photos with leaders during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton on May 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The remarks, made just moments after Trump met with Syria’s Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines, came a day after Trump announced his administration was lifting sanctions on Syria.
Trump also said that Lebanon had a “new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists if the new president and prime minister can rebuild an effective Lebanese state.”
TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST TOUR BEGINS WITH SYRIA LOOMING AS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to forge a Lebanon that is prosperous and at peace with its neighbors,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump attends the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton on May 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
At the end of his remarks, Trump appealed to the entire region more broadly, saying: “We’re going to forge a Middle East that will be a thriving commercial, diplomatic and cultural crossroads at the geographic center of the world. It’s what it is, it’s the center of the world.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Trump will head to Qatar later Wednesday for his second stop on the four-day Middle East tour.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
Managing diabetes already brings stress from medications and long-term health risks. Regular glucose checks only…
Cybercriminals keep getting better at blending into the software you use every day. Over the…
A futuristic food dome at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai offered a surprising look at how cities…
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER: - Pentagon launches military AI platform powered by Google Gemini for defense…
ChatGPT went from novelty to necessity in less than two years. It is now part…
Holiday travel and winter storms create risky moments for drivers and families. Stress rises fast…