On Tuesday, President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia for the start of his four-day excursion through the region, his first major foreign policy trip which will include stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The geopolitical implications couldn’t be more significant.

The U.S. is engaging in nuclear talks with Iran and just reached a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis, Iran’s Yemen-based terror proxy. Meanwhile, Israel is threatening to intensify its Gaza offensive unless a ceasefire deal is reached that brings home its hostages held by Hamas.

President Trump has long taken a keen interest in this region of the world. During his first term, he moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He ordered the killing of Qassim Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

Trump is rightfully proud of the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements signed during his first term by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and later by Morocco and Sudan recognizing Israel’s sovereignty. Trump’s visit may well build on the momentum of these accomplishments while fixing a wary eye upon the Iranian regime whose nuclear ambitions will be top of mind for all parties involved.

Any nuclear agreement with Iran must result in the “total dismantlement,” in Trump’s words, of Tehran’s nuclear program. No amount of enriched uranium is acceptable for Iran to have on hand, nor should its centrifuges be permitted to remain spinning, bringing it terrifyingly close to producing a nuclear bomb.

The Iranian regime is driven by a consuming hatred of the U.S. and Israel. It has lied repeatedly about the history and nefarious nature of its nuclear program. Under no circumstances can such a government be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon to menace its neighbors. Such an eventuality would only spur nuclear weapons proliferation in the wider region, a danger America cannot countenance. Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon must be the United States’ paramount policy consideration in the region and, per Trump’s statements, it certainly appears to be.

It is crucial for the United States to augment its relationship with the Gulf states given their vital strategic location on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, key chokepoints for international trade. Saudi Arabia and the UAE plan to invest in the United States to the tune of $600 billion over four years and $1.4 trillion over 10 years, respectively. It has also been reported that Trump will announce during his trip a $100 billion arms agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Constructing a network of interlocking agreements and arrangements between the United States and its Gulf partners is wise policy. But the U.S. should deeply distrust Qatar, a “frenemy” that still supports Hamas and uses its wealth to influence American universities and think tanks, spreading its anti-Western ideology.

Diplomatically, the administration is hoping to make headway on enhancing the Abraham Accords. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said recently, “There are many efforts underway (including) the expansion of the Abraham Peace Accords, which we think will have some or a lot of announcements very, very shortly, which we hope will yield great progress by next year.”

Still, the core regional interest of the United States remains tied to the security of our most important ally in the region — Israel. This is why preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon must be our top policy goal in the region.

Trump has stepped up for Israel in his second term, delivering desperately needed munitions as Israel seeks to defeat the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. His historic support for, and deep friendship with, the Jewish state has been stalwart and consistent in both presidential terms.

Strengthening ties with the Gulf states is important, but the United States cannot allow doing so to hamstring Israel. The president must rebuke any offers or agreements with Saudi Arabia and others that come at the expense of Israel’s security.

Needless to say, Israel will be watching events carefully.

The stakes for Trump’s visit are high. The balancing act between reinforcing our Gulf partnerships and ensuring security for our crucial ally Israel is a delicate one. Both are essential to confronting Iran and defending long-term U.S. security interests in the region.