The centerpiece of Donald Trump’s entire Middle East policy is Saudi Arabia. For the president, most roads run through Riyadh, whether it’s Iran, counterterrorism, or the Arab-Israeli conflict. Saudi Arabia was the first place he visited overseas as president. He assigned his son-in-law Jared Kushner to manage the relationship. When it comes to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often referred to as “MBS”), Trump is all-in, endorsing MBS’s power grab last year that consolidated his control over the kingdom.
The above excerpt was originally published in The New Republic.
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