As it happened: Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East – Sky News

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Donald Trump is heading back to the US after his Middle East tour. Recap the latest developments and listen to Trump 100 below as you scroll.
Friday 16 May 2025 15:00, UK
Thanks for following our coverage of Donald Trump’s tour of the Middle East.
We’re pausing our live updates for now. Before we return, here’s a summary of the major talking points from his four-day trip:
Watch below: Trump wraps up Middle East tour
We showed you Donald Trump’s schedule earlier (see 6.13 post) and it even includes a brief stop in the UK.
Air Force One is set to land at RAF Mildenhall at around 7.15pm to refuel.
It will leave at around 8.45pm and head for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Trump will then go on to the White House.
Trump also made the pit-stop on his way to the Middle East on Monday night, with Air Force One leaving an hour later.
We brought you comments from Donald Trump yesterday as he addressed US troops at an air base in Qatar.
He mentioned the recent military parades that have taken place in the West marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory against Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
„Everybody was celebrating but us, and we’re the ones that won the war,“ he said.
Trump also vowed to hold a major military parade in the US, but officials have told Reuters that twin celebrations for the US president’s birthday and the Army’s 250th anniversary will cost up to $45m.
The US Army had been planning to move troops and equipment to the National Mall in Washington on 14 June, but plans now include a parade that coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.
The estimated cost also excludes the charges Washington would have to bear, like cleaning up rubbish and road repairs.
Donald Trump has doubled down on his warning to Iran over a nuclear deal.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the US president said Iran has his administration’s proposal and knows it needs to move quickly.
„They have a proposal, more importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad, something bad is going to happen,“ he said.
It comes after he warned earlier that the situation will be done „nicely or not nicely“ (see 9.37 post).
Trump claimed Iran had „sort of“ agreed to the terms of a nuclear deal yesterday after reports that a top Tehran official said the country is prepared to make a number of concessions.
But Iran’s president rejected what Trump had to say, describing him as „naive for thinking he can come to our region, threaten us, and hope that we back down against his demands“.
Donald Trump’s Middle East tour has now wrapped up, and after signing more deals in Abu Dhabi, Sky’s US correspondent Mark Stone is joined by lead world news presenter and co-host of The World, Yalda Hakim, to ask if transactional Trump is in his comfort zone when dealing with the region’s leaders.
And, is the situation in Gaza just too complicated for Trump to grasp?
If you’ve got a question you’d like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@sky.uk.
Don’t forget, you can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.
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Before setting off, Donald Trump made the final stop on his tour of the Middle East.
He visited the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which encompasses a mosque, church and synagogue.
Donald Trump has been speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, and hailed an „historic“ four days.
„The jobs and money coming into our country, there’s never been anything like it,“ he said.
He joked with the reporters about the itinerary, saying „you also had great stamina… I think they were giving us a test“.
But Trump was full of praise for what he’s seen this week, adding „it’s amazing what they have done in all three countries“.
He said he can’t speak more highly of the job they’ve done in a short period of time, and that the people he’s met are „great people, great leaders“.
The trip has marked a shift in tone for US foreign policy – with Trump not mentioning human rights concerns in the nations he’s visited.
It’s wheels up for Air Force One, and with that, Donald Trump’s tour of the Middle East is over.
He’s been to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and is now heading back to Washington DC via a brief stop in the UK.
It’s a short walk out of a building at Abu Dhabi International Airport and into Air Force One for Donald Trump.
He turns to the cameras and gives one last pose before heading inside the plane.
Donald Trump is about to leave Abu Dhabi on Air Force One, bringing his Middle East tour to a close.
He’s behind schedule but confirmed earlier he’s returning to the US – not heading to Turkey where Ukraine-Russia talks are taking place.
You can watch his departure via the live YouTube stream below.
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