In a pointed message to Iran and ISIS, President Donald Trump will take is first foreign trip starting with Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome, senior administration officials told reporters Thursday. Trump will meet with a “gathering” of Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, before going on to meet leaders in Israel and finally the Pope in Rome. The trip is about “making sure the three faiths work together” to combat radicalism, deprive terrorists of funding, and tackle intractable issues like Syria, the continuing Israeli Palestinian conflict, and the interference of Iran throughout the Mideast, one of the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the president’s travel. The officials said it’s a message to Iran that countries in the region are unified against their support of terrorist groups, and also a message to terrorist groups that the regional powers are working together against them.
—Kimberly Dozier
