Trump claims 'a lot of progress' made in Middle East

US President Donald Trump has said there has been a lot of progress in the Middle East since he announced last month that he would withdraw his country from the international accord on Iran's nuclear programme.

"A lot of progress has been made in the Middle East. A lot. And it really started with the end of the horrible Iran deal. That deal was a disaster, and things are a lot different since we ended that. A lot different," Trump said on Monday after receiving King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan in the Oval Office, Efe news reported.

Trump did not enter into detail about which cases were, in his opinion, examples of such progress, nor did he answer a question about when he planned to present his plan to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Those in charge of drawing up that plan -- Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner and the White House envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt - traveled last week to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Israel for the purpose of completing the project.

The Washington visit of Abdullah II, who had already met with Kushner and Greenblatt in Amman, looked like an attempt to influence the US plan, about which few details are known.

Trump's envoys did not meet with Palestinians, who reject the US as the sole mediator for peace after the US government recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Jordan also criticised that measure, but Abdullah II avoided mentioning the peace process during his brief statement at the beginning of his meeting with Trump, preferring to lavish praise on his host.

"If the rest of the world just took a little bit of your humility and your grace to help us, we'd be in a lot better position," the king said.

Trump was very pleased. "Remember, he used the word 'humility' with respect to me, so I am very happy with that word. That's probably the nicest compliment I've been given in a long time," he told the press.

The US head of state also congratulated the King for doing "an incredible job on the refugees and the camps and taking care of people."

"And I just want to say while our nations have a very good relationship, we now have a great relationship," Trump said.

--IANS

pgh/