Trump says will make ‘very, very big announcement’ before Mideast trip

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday teased that he will make a major announcement ahead of his trip next week to the Middle East, without revealing what it would be.

“We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make. Like, as big as it gets, and I won’t tell you on what. And it’s very positive,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“It’ll be one of the most important announcements that have been made in years about a certain subject,” Trump said.

Trump did not offer further clues. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was opening a meeting with Trump, responded drily: “I’m on the edge of my seat.”

Trump heads next week to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign trip of his second term other than a brief stop in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.

Diplomats say that the United States is hoping for progress ahead of Trump’s trip on Gaza, where Israel has cut off shipments of food and other supplies for two months as it unleashes a renewed assault.

Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden have both sought recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia — a landmark step as the kingdom is the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites — but the Saudis have stated that they first need to see progress towards a Palestinian state.

Israel has said it will further displace most of Gaza’s population, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowing Tuesday that the territory “will be entirely destroyed,” a year and a half after Gaza-based Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.

The United States has stood by Israel but also held out hope of a new deal that would include the return of hostages from Gaza. Qatar, the key intermediary, has said it is keeping up efforts.

Trump is also hoping for major business deals when he visits the three oil-rich monarchies.

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