Trump says Iran must cease support of proxy groups as part of any nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump has told Gulf leaders he urgently wants “to make a deal” with Iran to wind down its nuclear programme but that Tehran must end its support of proxy groups throughout the region as part of any potential agreement.

(Iran) “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Mr Trump said in remarks at a meeting of leaders from the Gulf Co-operation Council hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

“They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

The US and Iran have engaged in four rounds of talks since early last month focused on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said he believes brokering a deal is possible but that the window is closing.

The president’s strongly worded push on Iran to cease support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen comes as its proxy network has faced significant setbacks in the 19 months since Hamas launched its October 7 2023 attack on Israel.

In Iran, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi called Mr Trump’s remarks “deceitful” but did not directly address the US leader’s call on Iran to cease support of proxy groups.

Later, Mr Trump, in an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One, urged Iran “to make the right decision” about its nuclear programme “because something’s going to happen one way or the other”.

“So we’ll either do it friendly or we’ll do it very unfriendly,” Mr Trump warned.

“And that won’t be pleasant.”

Mr Trump said he believed the moment was ripe “for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists”.

Hezbollah is severely weakened after its war last year with Israel in which much of its top leadership was killed, and after losing a key ally with the fall of former Syrian president Bashar Assad, a conduit for Iran to send arms.

“If they do, (the) president and prime minister can rebuild that effective Lebanese state,” Mr Trump said.

His comments on Iran came after he met on Wednesday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a face-to-face engagement with the one-time insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by US forces after being captured in Iraq.

Mr Trump agreed to meet Mr al-Sharaa at the end of his stay in Saudi Arabia.

He then headed to Qatar, where he is being honoured with a state visit.

His Middle East tour will also take him to the United Arab Emirates.

Mr al-Sharaa was named president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed Damascus and ended the 54-year rule of the Assad family.

Mr Trump said he decided to meet Mr al-Sharaa after being encouraged to do so by Prince Mohammed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The president also pledged to lift years-long sanctions on Syria.

Mr Trump told reporters that the meeting with Mr al-Sharaa went “great” and described him as a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past”.

“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” the US president said.

Prince Mohammed joined Mr Trump and Mr al-Sharaa for the meeting, which lasted about 33 minutes.

The prince said Mr Trump’s decision to engage with Mr al-Sharaa and lift the sanctions will “alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people” and spur a “new chapter” for the nation.

Mr Erdogan also took part in the talks via video conference.

“The sanctions were really crippling and very powerful,” Mr Trump said of Syria sanctions that will be lifted following his meeting with Mr al-Sharaa.

“It’s not going to be easy anyway, so it gives them a good, strong chance.”

Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Mr al-Sharaa joined the ranks of al Qaida insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq.

The US once offered 10 million dollars for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al Qaida.

Mr al-Sharaa came back to his home country of Syria after the conflict began in 2011 and led al Qaida’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front.

He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and cut links with al Qaida.

The sanctions go back to the rule of Bashar Assad, who was ousted in December, and were intended to inflict major pain on his economy.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations had left the sanctions in place after Mr Assad’s fall as they sought to take the measure of Mr al-Sharaa, who has renounced his past affiliation with al Qaida.

After meeting with members of the GCC – which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – Mr Trump flew to Qatar, the second stop on his Middle East tour.

Like the Saudis did a day earlier, Qatar rolled out the red carpet for Mr Trump.

The US president was greeted at the airport by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, and Air Force One was escorted by Qatari F-15 jets as it neared the capital city Doha.

As he sat down for talks with the emir at the Royal Court, Mr Trump told the Qatari leader he was impressed with the “perfecto” marble as well as the camels that took part in his grand arrival ceremony.

The emir, for his part, said he had high hopes for Mr Trump’s efforts at ending the grinding war in Gaza.

“I know that you are a man of peace,” he said.

“I know that you want to bring peace to this region.”