US President Donald Trump has decided not to attend a major annual gathering of American conservatives for the first time in a decade, a White House official has said.
The Republican leader has been a regular presence at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) since 2016 but will miss this year's edition due to a busy schedule amid the "ongoing Iran conflict", the official said.
The conference is being held from Wednesday to Saturday near Dallas, Texas, with Trump originally expected to deliver the keynote speech on the final day.
The president is instead scheduled to speak on Friday afternoon at FII Priority, a Saudi-backed investment summit in Miami, according to the event's website.
At CPAC, senior Republicans are expected to rally their conservative base ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump's party retains control of Congress for his final two years in office.
This year's conference also carries a geopolitical focus, with speakers including exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi.
He has been seeking to present himself as an interim leader should Iran's clerical leadership fall.
