US Drafts Post-War Middle East Plan to Isolate Iran — SkimNews
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- Trump administration began drafting a post-war Middle East strategy aimed at tightening pressure on Tehran and expanding Israel normalization with neighbors, per Axios citing two US officials and two other sources familiar.
- The plan rests on three pillars: building "regional alignment" among US allies to deter Iran, winding down the regional repercussions of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and broadening the Abraham Accords while pursuing Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization.
- Saudi Arabia has tied any normalization with Israel to tangible progress on resolving Gaza and creating a Palestinian state — a condition that has stalled a US goal Washington has pursued for years.
- Plans for the next phase of Trump's Gaza strategy include arrangements for reconstruction, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional administration, pursued alongside a potential Israel-Syria security deal following the fall of Assad's regime at the end of 2024.
- The framework would also pursue an Israel-Lebanon agreement limiting Hezbollah's military capabilities, building on the 2024 ceasefire that required Hezbollah's withdrawal north of the Litani River.
Why it matters: The plan signals the Trump administration intends to convert wartime gains into a structured, durable US regional architecture for the remainder of Trump's term — one that formalizes defense coordination among allies rather than relying on ad hoc partnerships. For Saudi Arabia, the Gaza-conditioned normalization remains the central bottleneck, meaning the Gaza track is effectively the lever that determines how far the Abraham Accords can expand.
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