President Trump Set To Meet Middle East Leaders At G7 As Iran Deal Takes Center Stage
President Donald Trump is set to hold a series of meetings with Middle Eastern leaders next week as he travels to France for the annual Group of Seven summit, with Iran and the future of the Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate discussions.
The president is scheduled to depart for Evian on Sunday for the G7 gathering, which brings together the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to a senior administration official, Trump has planned separate meetings with Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The White House also explored the possibility of arranging a bilateral meeting with leaders from Saudi Arabia, though administration officials said scheduling conflicts prevented a meeting from being finalized.
The summit comes as reports have emerged that the United States and Iran could be nearing a potential agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program.
“There’s a lot that the G7 countries have said that they can do once that deal goes forward. Iran is going to open up the Strait of Hormuz, that’s a requirement to be open with no toll. As they do that, we will lift our blockade,” a senior administration official said during a briefing with reporters.
Administration officials also noted that France and the United Kingdom have indicated they could help organize a coalition to remove mines and restore safe navigation through the strategically important waterway.
“As the strait opens, we’re going to be very involved in demining, and to the extent that G7 countries can participate in that, that’s also going to be a helpful thing to get things back to normal as quickly as possible,” the official said.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy shipping lanes, with a significant portion of global oil and natural gas exports passing through the narrow waterway each day. Any agreement reopening the strait and reducing tensions in the region would have major implications for global energy markets and international trade.
Trump’s meetings with Middle Eastern leaders are expected to focus heavily on regional security, the future of U.S.-Iran relations, maritime security in the Persian Gulf and efforts to stabilize the region should a final agreement with Tehran be reached.