JERUSALEM, Israel – President Trump heads to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for the last leg of his Middle East trip. The visit so far has produced an economic bonanza, which has been overshadowed by the specter of Iran’s nuclear program.
During Wednesday’s state dinner in Qatar, Trump warned that time is running out for Iran to decide to scrap its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The president stated, “I mean, two courses, there’s only two courses – there aren’t three or four or five – there’s two. There is a friendly and a non-friendly, and the non-friendly is a violent course, and I don’t want that. I’ll say it upfront, I don’t want that, but they have to get moving.”
In Doha, earlier in the day, he expressed optimism.
“I have a feeling it’s going to work out. I think it’s gonna work,” he said. “It’s got to work out one way or the other, We know it’s gonna work out, but you were of great help.”
Fifty-one U.S. senators wrote President Trump on Wednesday, supporting his efforts to “secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program.”
Trump and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, signed both economic and defense agreements. Al-Thani called the presidential visit historic.
“I think after signing these documents, we are going to another level of relationship between Qatar and the United States. So I just wanted to thank you, Mr. President, again, for this historic visit,” al-Thani declared.
In 2022, the Biden administration designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a designation that carries military and economic privileges as well as what the State Department calls “a powerful symbol of the close relationship with the United States.”
Qatar hosts CENTCOM, the U.S. command for the region, at al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East. Qatar also hosted Hamas leaders for years. It sponsors Islamist terror and helped build up Hamas, both financially and militarily.
Yigal Carmon, founder of MEMRI (Middle East Media and Research Institute), told CBN News, “Qatar gave (Hamas) billions of dollars over the years. They became a tiny empire, a military empire. All the missiles to Tel Aviv, all the almost 40,000 weapon holders
“Qatar gave them billions of dollars over the years. They became a tiny empire, military empire. All the missiles to Tel Aviv, all the almost 40,000 weapon-holders – killers.”
Carmon continued, “All the drones, all the motorcycles, what have you. All their equipment – everything, every single missile – is Hamas, is Qatar. So Qatar is Hamas, Hamas is Qatar. They go together.”
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The president also met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while expressing hope that Syria will join the Abraham Accords.
Al-Sharaa’s background as a terrorist leader, wanted by the U.S., is causing nervousness, both in the United States and Israel.
Middle East analyst Eric Stakelbeck raised a key question with CBN News’ Raj Nair.
“Does he have nefarious intentions towards Israel, or could he truly join the Abraham Accords? In my experience, Raj, covering this for a long time, covering on the ground in the region, even interviewing terrorists and former terrorists, the jihadi leopard doesn’t usually change its spots.
Stakelbeck added, “Let’s hope it’s different in Syria. resident Trump is taking a big chance here, but he’s doing it at the behest of the Gulf leaders, the Saudis, the Qataris. They wanted Syria to join the community of nations.”
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that despite the fact he’s not traveling to Israel on the visit, he’s not sidelining the Jewish state.
“No, not at all,” he said. “This is good for Israel. Having a relationship like I have with these countries, Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them, I think it’s very good for Israel.”
