BEIRUT — During his first term as president, Donald Trump took a bold if controversial approach to the Middle East. He moved the U.S.
Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, forged landmark deals between Israel and some Arab states and tore up the international nuclear deal with Iran. He imposed his will using a transactional style of diplomacy and the muscle of American power, even when it meant defying international consensus and brushing aside Palestinian concerns. But experts say that blunt strategy may not work this time around, particularly as international attention has refocused on the plight of Palestinians and criticism of Israel is rising.
The Middle East is a vastly different place since Trump left office in 2021. Wars are now raging in Gaza and Lebanon as Israel presses on with its attempts to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah . Those conflicts are threatening to t rigger a wider war that would pit the United States and Israel against Iran and its proxies.
Israel and Iran have fired rockets into each other’s territory in recent months amid a buildup of U.S. troops in the region.
The multitude of crises proved too thorny for President Biden to resolve. His diplomatic ineffectiveness has led some Middle East countries to find room for solace in a Trump Presidency 2.0.
“For the Gulf, everybody is saying ‘Welcome back, Trump. We’ve been waiting for you for the past four years,’ ” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political scientist from the United Arab Emira.