Trump's tour of the Gulf is almost over. This tour has a significant number of winners as well as losers, each with their own measure of profit and loss.
America is the biggest and most important winner. The total economic deals are the highest in history, and more than America itself had hoped for. Deals, gifts, and investments are approaching four trillion dollars, and this is making a huge difference to the American economy. This is in addition to the Gulf realigning behind America in a way that has removed all previous obstacles.
With all these gifts, the Gulf states that hosted them bought themselves a position closely behind the American master, even if only formally closer to the Israeli position. They guaranteed a period of protection, support, and endorsement that was not short, and that is all they wanted.
Syria had sanctions lifted and Sharia regained the legitimacy it had been seeking—American legitimacy. This in itself was a major gain for Sharia, and in return, it made significant promises and expressed a willingness to join America's ranks in the region.
Whether Hamas stands by this round of war or not, it has gained a little. There is now chemistry in dealing with it, and a pledge for this was offered in the form of the release of the Israeli-American prisoner. More importantly, this gain is still a card in the wind. Any change, and this is very much expected in the storm that is being stirred up around the Trump-Netanyahu relationship, will throw Hamas far from the center of attention.
There are also losers. The first and biggest loser is Benjamin Netanyahu. He lost his leading position behind Trump, falling far behind. However, Israel did not lose its status as a US protector, and the gap between Israel's standing and Netanyahu's in terms of American interest and support has become significant. Having lost his popular legitimacy, Netanyahu is now losing his American legitimacy, while Israel remains virtually under the US umbrella of protection. The current equation is either Netanyahu moves closer to American Israel to maintain his position, or Israel turns against Netanyahu to preserve its historical relationship with America.
The second loser is the Palestinian Authority. It didn't even enjoy a brief protocol meeting with Trump, and it completely lost its seat even in the spectator stands. This is natural and understandable. Anyone who loses the ability to influence events loses their place in the world of politics. Anyone who cannot present himself as a unified and single representative of his people is ignored, especially if that person is Trump, who can barely see anyone in front of him.
On its path to success, Iran is trying to overcome the devastating war with whatever achievements it can, and to the extent that it can do so, it represents a gain to some extent. Iran, by its very nature, possesses a tremendous amount of pragmatism that enables it to avoid a devastating war, and its margin of maneuver allows for this, especially since such a devastating war would be devastating to more than one party.
In the end, Trump's tour ends, and the ranks behind the American master are reorganized. Even if one side is late or the other advances, the American master has returned to the region in a way that allows him to determine its course until another slogan is adopted.
Share your opinion
Trump's Tour: Winners and Losers