President Donald Trump's Foreign Policy with the Middle EastIn 2025

Abstract

Former President Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election and will return to the White House on January 20 to assume power once again. His administration is likely to face a turbulent Middle East, given the ongoing wars in Gaza and possibly Lebanon, as well as the ongoing threats from Iran and its allies in the region.
Social and economic concerns have dominated his campaign more than foreign policy issues. However, it is possible to extrapolate how a Trump administration might respond to the complex situation in the Middle East in its upcoming second term by reviewing the president-elect’s record of positions during his first term, what he has said since then, and by examining the public statements of his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance.
Two major issues are likely to dominate the regional agenda of the next US administration: Iran and Israeli-Palestinian affairs, which are the focus of this assessment.