US President Donald Trump arrived in the Middle East carrying a host of plans and priorities, beginning his tour in Riyadh. The first of these plans materialized yesterday with his announcement of lifting sanctions on Syria, along with his best wishes for the Syrian people.

Trump followed that move today with a series of significant statements at the US-Gulf Summit, most notably emphasizing that Lebanon has a real opportunity to build a genuine state free from Hezbollah’s grip, provided that the efforts of the president and prime minister succeed. He also stressed the need for Iran to halt its support for proxy wars in the region, declaring: "I will push them to stop supporting terrorism."

Reaffirming his ambition to bring peace to the Middle East and beyond, Trump stated that he is seeking to normalize relations with the new Syrian government and plans to expand the Abraham Accords to include additional countries.

He added: "We will do everything we can to bring an end to the war in Gaza and ensure the safe return of American hostages."

For his part, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated his support for Lebanon’s stability, underlining the need for weapons to be under the sole authority of the Lebanese state, and affirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at restoring stability in the country.