Trump raked in $28 million from Middle East business deals. Then he started a war.

April 10, 2026 - 17:16

A significant financial influx from Middle Eastern partners preceded major U.S. military decisions during the previous administration, according to recent documentation. Financial records show entities tied to the former president secured deals worth approximately $28 million with Gulf region investors in the years leading up to his term. These transactions were part of broader business interests, with real estate projects in the Persian Gulf alone valued at an estimated $17 billion.

This period of substantial deal-making was followed, early in the administration, by a decisive escalation in military involvement abroad. The administration ordered a major missile strike on Syrian airfields in response to a chemical weapons attack, marking a sharp turn in foreign policy. Later, a high-profile operation resulted in the death of a top Iranian military commander, bringing the U.S. to the brink of a wider regional conflict.

Ethics experts have long warned that the intertwining of global business ventures with the pressures of the presidency creates potential conflicts. The proximity of these lucrative financial arrangements to consequential acts of war has ignited debate among lawmakers and government watchdogs. They argue such a sequence of events underscores the critical need for transparent financial disclosures and robust ethical walls for individuals holding the nation's highest office, to ensure military and foreign policy decisions are made solely in the national interest.