Pompeo Set to Conclude his Mideast Trip

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Oman on Thursday to cap off his weeklong Middle Eastern diplomatic tour. Pompeo is expected to meet Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said to discuss regional matters including Iranian aggression and a possible thaw in Oman’s relations with Israel. Pompeo’s efforts in the region, meant to build on the momentum of the recently signed Abraham Accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, were met with a lukewarm response, as his Bahraini and Sudanese hosts refused to commit to advancing relations with Israel. On Wednesday, Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa stressed his country’s commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Earlier, Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok explained he had “no mandate” from his people to strengthen ties with the Jewish state. The remarks come on the heels of Saudi Arabia’s message regarding the announcement of normalization between the UAE and Israel, which reiterated the Saudi commitment to the Palestinian cause.