RIYADH — President Donald Trump has told Gulf leaders that the United States is willing to pursue a nuclear agreement with Iran—but only if Tehran ends its support for proxy groups operating across the Middle East. Speaking at a high-profile Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump laid out a firm stance aimed at curbing both Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its regional influence.
“I urgently want to make a deal,” Trump said during his remarks in the Saudi capital on Wednesday. “But Iran must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
The U.S. and Iran have held four rounds of indirect talks since early last month in a renewed effort to revive or reshape a nuclear framework. Trump has expressed optimism about reaching an agreement, but warned that the opportunity to do so is narrowing.
A key sticking point in the discussions is Iran’s continued support for proxy groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. These networks, many of which have faced recent military and political setbacks, are seen by Washington and its Gulf allies as destabilizing forces in the region.
Trump’s remarks come amid heightened tensions following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, an event that set off a wave of conflict and realignment in the region. Since then, Iran’s influence via its proxies has been challenged on multiple fronts.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed Trump’s comments as “deceitful,” though he did not directly address the demand to withdraw support from the proxy groups.
The summit in Riyadh underscored the shared concerns among U.S. allies in the Gulf over Iran’s regional activities and highlighted growing consensus on the conditions necessary for any future nuclear deal. Whether these diplomatic efforts will yield a new agreement remains uncertain, but the message from Washington is clear: no deal without accountability.
