Trump Transactional Foreign Policy Pivots Saudi Arabia in Mideast

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Trump’s Deal Making Focus in Saudi Arabia Sharpens Transactional Foreign Policy

By TRH News Desk

NEW DELHI, May 14, 2025 – Transactional foreign policy came in a sharp focus during US President Donald Trump’s Saudi Arabia Policy Speech. Heaping praise on Saudi Arabia, Trump almost gave Riyadh the centrality in the affairs of the Middle East.

Trump’s speech sent the people in S’aana in Syria celebrating with an impending Saudi Arabia-backed US deal with Damascus. The new Syrian regime is offering a Ukraine-like critical minerals deal with the US in return for Washington lifting sanctions.

Middle East commentators have stated that Trump’s speech underlined his focus on “regional stability, and a transactional foreign policy approach”. Trump in Riyadh made his first stop for his first major overseas trip in the second term as the US President.

To big applauses by the members of the royal family, Trump in Saudi Arabia policy speech on May 13, 2025 spoke of lifting sanctions on Syria. Trump spoke of him supporting the new government under President Ahmed al-Shara. He said that the deal aims to give Syria “a chance at greatness following years of civil war”.

Trump’s acceptance of Saudi Arabia-brokered deal with Syria is in contrast with many of his key aides, including Tulsi Gabbard, having portrayed the Ahmed al-Shara as jihadists.

Trump in his speech sought to offer a Syria-like deal for Iran. The US and Iran are holding negotiations. Trump has spoken in the past of a complete dismantling of the nuclear facilities for lifting sanctions, while also threatening severe actions if Tehran doesn’t fall in line.

Trump offered Iran a chance to negotiate a nuclear deal to curtail its program, promising to ease economic sanctions if successful, but warned of “massive maximum pressure” if Iran refuses.

Trump highlighted a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia into the US, including $142 billion in defence deals. He said that the Saudi investment in the US is expected to create millions of jobs and boost economic ties.

Trump berated his predecessors and other colonial powers for their interventionist approaches in the Middle East. Trump presented Saudi Arabia as a model for a reimagined Middle East, emphasizing economic prosperity through “commerce, not chaos” over regional instability.

Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, though he acknowledged it would happen on Saudi Arabia’s timeline. Trump contrasted his approach with past US policies, criticizing nation-building and invasions, and instead prioritizing transactional partnerships and regional development.

Trump positioned Saudi Arabia as a key mediator in the Middle East. He noted the role of Riyadh in hosting US-Russia talks on Ukraine and potential future negotiations involving Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. Trump also touted a recent truce with the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, describing it as a “swift and decisive US action that achieved its goals without prolonged conflict”.

But a report in New York Times stated that Trump made a hasty retreat from conflicts with the Houthis on basis of an intelligence report that highlighted rising costs and risks to key military assets.

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