Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his priority was to end wars, but he would not hesitate to “wield American power if it’s required”, while addressing US troops in Qatar at the conclusion of his visit, the second leg of his multi-day tour of the Gulf.
The US leader began his tour on Tuesday with a stop in Riyadh and is scheduled to finish it in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
“My priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it’s necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners, and this is one of our great partners right here,” he said.
Mr Trump delivered his remarks at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and a key strategic post for American and coalition forces.
He also praised US troops at the American airbase in Qatar.
“You are the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the world,” he said to applause from hundreds of servicemen and women.
“Best equipment. Nobody has the planes, missiles or anything else. As your commander-in-chief, I'm here to say America's military will be bigger, better, stronger and more powerful than ever before.
“Over $1 trillion – peace through strength. We don't have to use it – because if we use it, I feel sorry for the other guy.”
Built in the 1990s by Qatar and expanded to host US operations after 2001, Al Udeid Air Base plays a central role in regional air operations, including combat missions, aerial refuelling and intelligence-gathering across the Middle East.
The base houses more than 10,000 US and coalition personnel and hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command, US Air Forces Central Command and the Combined Air Operations Centre, making it a critical site in the region.
Mr Trump arrived in Doha on Wednesday, where he was received with a grand welcome ceremony. He signed several agreements with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, including major deals on aviation and defence co-operation. Among them was a $96 billion order by Qatar Airways for Boeing jets – the largest in the company’s history.
From his visits to Riyadh and Doha, Mr Trump secured deals worth billions in investment and defence. Further economic and security talks are expected during his stop in Abu Dhabi.
‘Deal with Iran is close’
Before heading to Al Udeid, about 30km south-west of Doha, Mr Trump said that a deal was close with Iran to avert a military strike on the country’s contested nuclear sites.
“We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran,” said Mr Trump. “I think we’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.”
The US and Iran have held four rounds of nuclear talks since April, all mediated by Oman. The negotiations aim to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Iran is very lucky to have the Emir because he's actually fighting for them,” said Mr Trump. “He doesn’t want us to do a vicious blow to Iran, he said you can make a deal and he’s really fighting for that.
“A lot of people want me to go the other route – they say knock it out.” He would instead choose the diplomatic route, he added.
Reports suggest that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to convince Mr Trump to allow an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear plants. Observers believe that Mr Netanyahu could still be planning a limited attack on Iran’s nuclear centres in the coming months despite Mr Trump telling him that the US was for now unwilling to support such a move.
Ali Shamkhani, adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News on Wednesday that Iran could accept curbs on its nuclear programme and forgo highly enriched uranium in exchange for a deal that would see sanctions lifted.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and insists it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. However, since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under Mr Trump, Tehran has repeatedly breached the accord in response to renewed American sanctions, stockpiling enough highly enriched uranium to potentially produce multiple nuclear bombs.
The 2015 deal, which is set to expire this year, limited Iran to enriching uranium up to 3.67 per cent for 15 years. But as of February, the IAEA reported that Iran had enriched uranium to 60 per cent and could rapidly reach weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
In his remarks in Doha, Mr Trump also addressed other regional flashpoints, including Syria and Gaza.
He said he wanted the US to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone”.
“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” he said.
The proposal is reminiscent of his earlier controversial suggestions for Gaza’s economic redevelopment, which were widely rejected by Arab and European states for implying the forced displacement of Palestinians.
On Syria, Mr Trump said he liked the country’s new leader Ahmad Al Shara “a lot” despite his “strong past” and that the lifting of sanctions would give him a chance at leading the country.
Mr Trump met Mr Al Shara in Riyadh, after announcing the lifting of US sanctions to give Syria an opportunity for economic recovery and signal a pivot in American Middle East policy. It was the first meeting between US and Syrian heads of state in 25 years.
