White House: U.S. President Prepares for Historic Return to Middle East

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to head towards the Middle East this week, for the first major foreign trip of his second term, focusing on business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Friday, 9 May 2025, that President Trump is preparing for his “historic return to the Middle East” and will focus on “strengthening ties between our nations.”

Leavitt underscored that Trump’s visit is intended to “re-emphasise his continued vision for a proud, prosperous, and successful Middle East.”

“This trip ultimately highlights how we stand on the brink of the golden age for both America and the Middle East,” Leavitt added.

President Trump previously announced  his plans to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, stating he would be making a “very, very big announcement.”

When asked about the changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf, President Trump told reporters that he’ll “have to make a decision” during his Middle East trip next week.

Responding to the controversy, Leavitt said, “The president said he hasn’t made a determination yet. That was in the news that you guys all asked him about, and he said he wasn’t quite sure. So, he hasn’t made a quite definitive decision on that yet.”

“They’re going to ask me about that when I get there, and I’ll have to make a decision,” Trump said. “I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I don’t know if feelings are going to be hurt.”

Trump added that he is “going to be given a briefing” regarding plans on renaming the gulf, adding he would make a decision after that.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who announced on Saturday, 10 May 2025, that a 4th round of nuclear negotiations will take place on Sunday, 11 May 2025, previously warned against changing the name of the Persian Gulf, stating that such step would “bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the U.S. and across the world.”

“I am confident that @realdonaldtrump is aware that the name PERSIAN Gulf is centuries old and recognized by all cartographers and international bodies and was even used by all leaders of the region in their official communications until as recently as 1960’s,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, condemning what he called “politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf.”

Furthermore, President Trump is also seeking to seal business deals on his trip to the middle east.

CNN reported that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a former adviser who has done a slew of business deals with entities in the region, is privately advising Trump ahead of his travel. 

“There’s a lot of wins for the president to achieve in Saudi Arabia,” Hagar Chemali, a White House national security official in the Obama administration, said on Bloomberg TV’s Balance of Power program. “Pulling the region away from China” will also be an objective of the trip, according to Chemali, along with upping defence trade there. 



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