President Donald Trump told Gulf leaders on Wednesday that he was eager to “reach an agreement” with Iran to stop its nuclear program, but Tehran must end support for agent groups across the region as part of any potential agreement.
Iran “must stop sponsoring terror, stop its bloody commissioned war, and permanently and reliably stop pursuing nuclear weapons,” Trump said in a leader of the Gulf Cooperation Council chaired by the Saudi capital Mohammed Bin Salman. “They can't have nuclear weapons.”
Since the beginning of last month, the United States and Iran have held four rounds of negotiations, focusing on Iran's nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly said he thinks it is possible for a broker to reach a deal, but the windows are closing.
The Republican president's strong wording push for Iran to stop support for Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hussis in Yemen, as its proxy network faces major setbacks in the 19 months since Hamas launched on October 7, 2023, hit Israel.
In Iran, Foreign Secretary Abbas Araghchi called Trump's rhetoric “deceptive” but did not directly address U.S. leaders' calls for Iran to stop supporting agent groups.
Trump added that he believes this moment is mature, “to get rid of Hezbollah terrorists' grip, future future.” After last year's war, Hezbollah was severely weakened in Israel, with most of its leadership killed and losing key allies after its fall with former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a channel for Iran to send weapons.
Propose sanctions on Syria
Trump's comments on Iran came after his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday, a face-to-face engagement with a rebel leader who was imprisoned by U.S. troops for several years after his arrest in Iraq.
Trump agreed to meet Al-Sharaa at the end of his stay in Saudi Arabia. He travels to Qatar, where he will receive state visits. His trip to the Middle East also brought him to the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Sharaa was appointed Syrian president in January, a month after a stunning offensive by the rebel group led by Al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), attacked Damascus and ended the 54-year rule of the Assad family.
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Trump said he decided to meet al-Sharaa with encouragement from Prince Mohammed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also promised to lift years of sanctions on Syria.
“The sanctions are really cruel and very powerful,” Trump said, adding: “It's not easy anyway, so it gives them a good opportunity.
Prince Mohammed joined Trump and al-Sharaa for a 33-minute meeting. Erdogan also participated in the talks through video conferences.
The prince said Trump's decision to interact with al-Sharaa and lift sanctions would “ease the suffering of the Syrian people” and stimulate a “new chapter” for the country.
Al-Sharaa, formerly known for Nom de Guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, joined the ranks of Al-Qaeda rebels after the U.S.-led invasion. He still faces a warrant for being arrested for being arrested in Iraq. The United States once provided $10 million for his whereabouts because he had links to al-Qaeda.
After the conflict began in 2011, Al-Sharaa returned to his native Syria and led the Al-Qaeda branch known as Nusra Front. He changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and truncated contact with Al Qaeda.
The sanctions can be traced back to the rule of Assad, who was ousted in December and aimed at causing significant pain to his economy.
Biden and the Trump administration both left the sanctions after Assad fell, trying to take al-sharaa measures.
After meeting with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council – including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – Trump will travel to Qatar, his second stop on the Middle East Tour.
Qatar, like other Arab Gulf, is an authoritarian country with political parties banned and strictly controlled. It is supervised by the Emir (Emir) Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Sheikh Tamim resigned in June 2013 when his father resigned.
Qatar also plays a central role in the global paid scandal.
In Israel, authorities are investigating allegations that Qatar hired close advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a public relations campaign to improve the image of the Gulf nation among Israelis.
Two EU lawmakers are accused of making money from Doha in a scandal called “Qatargate”. U.S. attorneys accused Qatar of bribing FIFA executive committee members in 2022 to secure the country's game.
In 2024, defense contractor RTX Corp. formerly known as Raytheon, agreed to pay more than $950 million in fees to resolve the allegation that deceived the U.S. government and paid a bribe to secure business with Qatar companies. Doha always denies any misconduct.
Qatar follows a superconservative form of Sunni Islam called Wahhabiism and was born in Saudi Arabia. However, Qatar fought differently in the Arab Spring by supporting Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and those who opposed Assad.
Its support for Islamists has partially led to Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates boycotting the country over the years. The boycott was only prepared to enter the White House in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden.
Qatar has also served as a key mediator, especially in the militant group Hamas, where the international community pursues a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Qatar also served as the host of negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, which led to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Katar is home to the Al-udeid Air Base, a sprawling facility responsible for the front headquarters of the U.S. Military Central Command.
The oil-rich country is also the center of controversy for giving Trump the gift of a luxurious Boeing 747-8, which the United States could be used as Air Force One, while a new version of the aircraft is being built through Boeing.
The Katari government said no final decision has been made. But Trump defended the idea, even as critics believe it would constitute a surprisingly valuable gift from the president to accept foreign governments.
Trump said he would refurbish the plane and would later donate it to his white post-House Presidential Library. He said he wouldn't use the plane once he left the office.
– AP writer Suzan Fraser donates in Ankara, Türkiye, Tia Goldenberg in Telvin and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran.
