President Donald Trump welcomed Bahrain’s crown prince and prime minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to the White House on 16 July, using the visit to deepen strategic ties and showcase new economic and energy initiatives between the two countries. Ahead of the Oval Office meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani signed a memorandum that launches negotiations on a Section 123 civil-nuclear agreement. The accord would clear the way for US companies to develop small modular reactors in the island kingdom, a step Bahraini officials say will help the country meet its 2060 carbon-neutrality goal. Private-sector executives from both nations concurrently unveiled roughly $17 billion in commercial deals. The largest tranche is a Gulf Air order for 12 Boeing aircraft and 40 GE engines valued at about $7 billion, with options for additional jets. Other agreements cover telecommunications, subsea cable infrastructure and direct Bahraini investment in US manufacturing, with the White House estimating the packages could support some 30,000 American jobs. Trump was due to host Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for dinner later in the evening as US officials seek to leverage Gulf relationships to advance a Gaza cease-fire. The twin engagements underscore Washington’s push to pair economic diplomacy with regional security efforts.