On his trip this week to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran.
After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip , where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis . And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons .
Yet Trump will focus his attention on three energy-rich nations home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects - places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals.
"This is his happy place," said Jon B. Alterman, a senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They'll be keen to make deals. They'll flatter him and not criticize him. And they'll treat his family members as past and future business partners."
But Trump won't be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places.