Pompeo heads to Mideast amid Arab-israeli push
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday headed to the Middle East, the first of two senior U.S. officials to travel to the region this week as the Trump administration presses an ambitious Arab-israeli peace push that President Donald Trump hopes will burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of November’s election.
Pompeo is traveling to Israel, several Gulf Arab states and Sudan.
To accelerate progress in the region, Pompeo is expected to be followed to many of the same destinations later in the week by Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, diplomats said.
The separate visits come as the administration seeks to capitalize on momentum from the historic agreement between Israel and the UAE.
In addition to Israel and Sudan, the State Department said Pompeo would travel to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Officials said stops in Oman and Qatar are also possible.
“The U.S. commitment to peace, security, and stability in Israel, Sudan, and among Gulf countries has never been stronger than under President Trump’s leadership,” the State Department said in a statement announcing Pompeo’s trip.
Kushner and his team are expected to visit Israel, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Morocco on their trip, which is scheduled to begin at the end of the week, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the itinerary has not yet been finalized or publicly announced.