'No more lectures on how to live', says Trump to the Middle East, reports NYT

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a pointed repudiation of American interventionist policies in the Middle East during a speech in Saudi Arabia, declaring that Washington would no longer impose its values abroad or pursue what he described as misguided nation-building efforts.

Speaking at a high-profile investment forum in Riyadh, Trump received an enthusiastic reception as he distanced himself from decades of U.S. foreign policy.

“The so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built,” he told a room filled with Gulf dignitaries and business leaders.

He went on to criticise past military interventions in the region, stating that they were often carried out “in complex societies that they did not even understand.”

His comments, reported by The New York Times, resonated across the Middle East, where memories of the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and more recently, continued American support for Israel, remain deeply controversial.

Trump emphasised that the United States would cease “giving you lectures on how to live,” calling instead for countries to chart their “own destinies in [their] own way.”

The address marked the start of a four-day diplomatic and commercial tour through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, during which Trump aimed to cement economic ties and promote regional normalisation with Israel.

According to The New York Times, more than $1 trillion in investments into the U.S. economy were pledged by the Gulf states as part of the visit.

Signaling broader ambitions, Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would join Bahrain and the UAE in recognizing Israel, a move Saudi leaders have repeatedly linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

He also voiced interest in negotiating a new deal with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, stating he does not believe in "permanent enemies."

Healso dropped a dramatic diplomatic moment during his tour by meeting Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a commander whose coalition ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

A photograph of Trump with al-Sharaa and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stunned observers and ignited swift debate across the region.

The visit, marked by warm exchanges and commercial diplomacy, stood in stark contrast to former U.S. President Joe Biden’s cooler stance toward Saudi leadership.

Biden, during his own visit to Riyadh, had directly confronted the crown prince over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, asserting U.S. intelligence findings that implicated the royal in the 2018 killing.

Trump’s tone, however, suggested a reorientation of U.S. diplomacy—less focused on moral imperatives and more attuned to pragmatic alliances.

For many across the Arab world, fatigued by decades of war and external interference, this message found many receptive ears.