President Trump hosts Iftar dinner at White House amid West Asia conflicts; thanks Muslims for support

New York: US President Donald Trump has asserted that his administration is keeping its promises to the Muslim community and is “engaged in relentless diplomacy to forge a lasting peace in the Middle East." Trump made these remarks on Thursday as he hosted the annual Iftar dinner at the White House, where he also thanked the "hundreds of thousands of Muslim-Americans who supported" him in the 2024 presidential election.

"...As we are in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, let me begin by saying to my Muslim friends — Ramadan Mubarak,” said Trump.

The White House event was attended by Muslim community leaders, diplomats, and government officials.

"The Muslim community was there for us in November -- and while I'm president, I'm going to be there for you," he said during a brief speech ahead of the meal. "I think you know that." "Every day, we're keeping our promises to the Muslim community. My administration is engaged in relentless diplomacy to forge a lasting peace in the Middle East, building on the historic Abraham Accords, which everyone said would be impossible. Now, we're going to start filling them out, as you know, Biden did nothing to fill them out," Trump told his guests.

"We had the four great countries and nothing happened, despite the importance of the Abraham accords. But I have a feeling it's going to fill out very quickly. It's already. People are talking already about it. They should have had a long, long ago. It should have been done." "All we want is peace,” he later added.

The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements that were signed between Israel and several Arab nations during the previous Trump presidency to normalise relations.

The dinner came as war rages in West Asia between Israel and Hamas after a fragile ceasefire, brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, was halted in Gaza as Israel pushes the Palestinian militant group to release hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on its southern border.

"Every day during the sacred month, the Muslims fast from dawn to dusk deepening their focus on prayer and devotion to God. Then Muslims all over the world join families and friends each night and give thanks to the almighty, breaking their fast with Iftar dinner. We are all looking for peace for the entire world," he stated.

In 2018, President Trump hosted his first iftar dinner to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.