Scoop: Trump administration drafting post-war Middle East plan
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President Trump leaves the podium during a White House Rose Garden dinner for Republicans on Sept. 2. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Trump administration is working on a post-war strategy focused on a regional effort to contain Iran and expand normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors, according to two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge of the issue.
Why it matters: While the plan is still in the early stages of drafting, it's intended to guide the U.S. approach in the Middle East after the Iran war ends and in the final two years of President Trump's term. Two big events loom over the planning: the Oct. 27 election in Israel and the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Behind the scenes: The initial work on the strategy is taking place both at the senior political level of the Trump administration and at the working level across agencies, U.S. officials say.
- In recent weeks, Trump has held two meetings with senior advisers where the plan was discussed and ideas were raised, sources say.
- Trump has said in private conversations that he's working on "something much bigger" in the Middle East after the war with Iran.
- The White House declined to comment.
Three main elements have been raised as possible parts of the strategy, according to the sources:
- Creating a regional alignment among U.S. allies to contain Iran, with the U.S. as a guarantor.
- Making a concerted effort to bring the regional fallout from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks closer to a conclusion by securing the next phase of Trump's Gaza plan, reaching a security agreement between Israel and Syria, and implementing the Israel-Lebanon agreement.
- Expanding the Abraham Accords and reaching a Saudi-Israeli normalization agreement.
The intrigue: The Trump administration hopes that any new Israeli government formed after the Oct. 27 election will be willing and able to cooperate in the post-war strategy.
- But some U.S. officials stress that Trump will push to implement it regardless of the Israeli election results — and even if they produce a political stalemate.
What to watch: A source briefed on the process said it will take another few weeks to draft the strategy. "They are cooking it, but it is not yet cooked," the source said.
- "The idea is to tie a whole lot of things in the region together — how you create a regional alignment after the war. It is still unclear if all U.S. allies in the region will be on board," the person added.
