Trump: Gulf trip ‘is good for Israel’; calls on Iran to make a deal, stop sponsoring terror, halt ‘bloody proxy wars’

U.S. President Donald Trump stressed that despite not stopping in Israel, his trip to the Gulf states is “good for Israel,” while reiterating his commitment to prevent the Iranian regime from developing nuclear weapons.

During his flight from Riyadh to Doha for the second leg of his trip on Wednesday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that him skipping Israel doesn’t mean it was sidelined.

Positive relations between the U.S. and the Gulf states are “good for Israel,” Trump said. “Having a relationship like I have with these countries… I think it’s very good for Israel.”

Throughout his visit so far, Trump has reiterated his commitment to dismantle the Iranian regime’s nuclear program several times. However, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are strongly opposed to Iran, Qatar is aligned with the regime.

The U.S. and Iran held a fourth round of nuclear talks last weekend, with the next round expected to be announced soon by Oman, which acts as a mediator.

On Wednesday, Trump said during a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting that he wants to make a deal, “if possible. But for that to happen, they must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons.”

“They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stressed, while again blaming the Biden administration for “empowering Iran.”

“Those days are over,” he added.

After arriving in Qatar and meeting its Emir, he reiterated his optimism about the nuclear talks with Iran. “I have a feeling it’s going to work out,” the president said.

A day earlier, Trump said that he wanted to offer the Iranian regime an olive branch but warned of severe punishment if this was rejected.

“We’re going to make your region and the world a safer place. But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure,” he said.

He added some more strong comments which drew a furious response by Tehran, saying the Iranian regime was the “most destructive force” in the region and accusing its leaders of being “focused on stealing their people's wealth” to fund their proxy militias across the region.

“Unfortunately, this is a deceptive view. It is the US that has prevented Iran’s progress through sanctions,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hit back.

The minister also confirmed that regime officials will meet representatives of the European parties to the defunct JCPOA agreement from 2015 in Istanbul on Friday.

Trump’s positive outlook on the talks was echoed by the deputy prime minister of Oman, who also took part in Wednesday’s GCC summit, as well as the Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa who affirmed they would “bolster stability and improve prosperity across the region.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said his kingdom also “fully supports the US-Iran nuclear talks,” adding he “hopes for positive results.”