US treasury secretary to tour Middle East in final push for Abraham Accords

Al-Monitor Staff

Dec 16, 2020

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani (R) speaks at a joint press conference with the head of the Israeli delegation, National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat (L) and US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (C), following a signing ceremony for an agreement establishing Bahraini-Israeli diplomatic relations in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on Oct. 18, 2020. — RONEN ZVULUN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will head to Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Sudan on his final official trip abroad in the waning days of the Donald Trump presidency.

Mnuchin’s visit comes as the Trump administration seeks to cement gains in convincing Middle Eastern leaders to recognize Israel in a strategic initiative dubbed the Abraham Accords.

The administration has also pushed Egypt and Arab Gulf countries to patch up their dispute with Qatar, a rift seen by US officials as a weak link in regional security given Iran’s shifting ambitions in the region.

The trip, tentatively set for early January, was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed to Al-Monitor by a source familiar with the matter.

US treasury secretary to tour Middle East in final push for Abraham Accords

Steven Mnuchin plans to stop in Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Qatar.

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