Trump administration races to fill key diplomatic posts in the Middle East
The Trump administration has been slow to appoint envoys to posts in the Middle East: Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE remain without confirmed US ambassadors.
Key points
- While saying those views did not represent “every Muslim,” he maintained that “there certainly is a faction to where that is absolutely correct.” Separately, Trump’s Egypt nominee, Nick Oberheiden, pledged to work with Cairo to advance the administration’s Gaza peace plan, stabilize Libya, and address Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
- Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, insisted that “we cannot let perfection be the enemy of great,” warning that without US involvement, Washington would have “absolutely no say” over the program’s direction.
- Hunt called the US-Saudi relationship the “cornerstone of regional security and prosperity,” pledging to deepen the partnership through expanded trade, investment, and defense cooperation.
The hearing was part of efforts by Republicans to secure confirmations for key diplomatic posts before the new Congress takes office in January.
Asked about Egypt’s crackdown on press freedom, he said he would pursue private, sustained dialogue with Cairo, seeking “concrete and verifiable information” without public denunciation or lecturing.
Additional details
- On Monday, Trump also nominated former Kansas Gov.
- He was also pressed over previous remarks portraying Islam as seeking to infiltrate and take over other countries.
- Jeffrey Colyer to be ambassador to the UAE, which has been without a US envoy since August 2025.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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