U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) is in the Middle East. He says he is the first Democratic member of Congress to visit the Gulf region since the war in Iran began.
Connecticut’s junior senator, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
U.S. bases in the countries have been badly damaged during the war. Recent cost estimates are above $43 billion, according to U.S. Central Command.
During his trip, Murphy has been meeting with regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I think it's important for people to be here who disagree with Saudi Arabia's policies, to be honest and candid about those disagreements,” Murphy said after the meeting. “I think it's also important for us to be here to recognize that there are things that we need to work on together: the end of the war with Iran, a pathway to a Palestinian state.”
Murphy, who has an active social media presence and often uses it to criticize the Trump administration, has been keeping followers updated on his trip through short videos.
In one, he tells the camera that U.S. energy trading companies, “some… tied to President Trump,” are profiting off the war.
“A story I heard here that I don't think I would have if I hadn't visited Qatar is that there are energy trading companies that are bringing ships in, jacking up the price to cut our energy because of these wartime conditions,” Murphy said. “American companies that are making an enormous profit off of this war, they're getting the benefit of CENTCOM, the American military, providing the security for the transit out of the strait, but are still charging enormous fees and making money.”
Murphy said he hopes the trip will inform future policy for the Gulf — he thinks Democrats will soon hold the majority in Congress and wants to be ready.
