Gulf Allies and U.S. Policy

In a Fox News interview, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is not sharing detailed military plans with Gulf allies as he weighs possible strikes on Iran, even as a 'massive armada' led by the USS Abraham Lincoln moves toward the region. Asked about reports that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states feel they are 'in the dark,' Trump replied, 'we can’t tell them the plan,' and noted Riyadh is refusing to let the U.S. use its airspace or bases for an attack. He confirmed Iran is in talks with Washington and said, 'we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens,' while claiming past U.S. action had already 'taken out' parts of Tehran’s nuclear program. In the same interview he framed ongoing government‑funding talks and a potential shutdown as politically damaging mainly to Democrats, and declined to directly address Democratic demands over ICE officers’ face coverings in DHS negotiations, instead pointing to his support for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and asserting crime is at a historic low. The comments highlight both an unusually secretive approach with regional partners on a possible new Middle East conflict and how Iran brinkmanship is entwined with Trump’s domestic funding and immigration battles.