President Trump recently visited a number of Persian Gulf countries, amid intense speculation about his administration’s policy toward the Middle East.
If only his policy were to disengage from the region altogether.
Earlier this month, Trump announced that the U.S. had made a deal to halt strikes on the Houthis in Yemen. Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff has continued to engage in talks with Iran toward a nuclear deal, while disagreements over the issue have roiled Trump’s Cabinet and the Pentagon. The president also announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria and met with its new de facto leader Ahmed al-Shara, a former al-Qaeda militant.
Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to raze and occupy Gaza, permanently displacing its 2 million Palestinian inhabitants. Trump has previously suggested that the U.S. will “take over Gaza” and has suggested that its Palestinian residents be “cleaned out.”
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Events on Middle East
