President Trump’s 1st foreign visit is to Saudi to counter Iran

The White House on Thursday announced that the US President Donald Trump to visit Saudi Arabia on May 23, making the kingdom as his first foreign trip as head of the United States.

Trump said he would begin to construct a new foundation to combat “terrorism” in the trip.

The US president will also visit Israel and the Vatican. Trump will add the three stops to an already announced visit to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily later this month.

“My first foreign trip as president of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome,” Trump said.

White House officials said representatives of other Arab Gulf countries will also be gathering during Trump’s visit to Saudi.

Trump also expects tangible results in countering radical Islamist ideologies from Saudi Arabia, White House officials added.

Senior administration officials said they’re working to build a framework in the Middle East to counter ISIS and Iran, and provide a security blanket for America’s allies in the region.

“I think what the president has demonstrated already and will be able to demonstrate even further on this trip is that America First is fully compatible with American leadership in the world,” said one of the senior officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

(With agencies)