Trump... From Failure to Manipulation in the Region

The American President's request, during the conference call with leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, to engage in the Abraham Accords, elicited clear reactions from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, stating that they would not link any agreement to the Iranian-Israeli war. Instead, the possible link is ending the Israeli occupation of the territories occupied in 1967 or having a credible path to establishing a Palestinian state, meaning focusing on the core of the conflict in the region related primarily to the Israeli occupation.

This request also indicated that Trump is still keen on achieving a political victory for Netanyahu in order to accept the new equation that the United States is drawing for its interests in the region, and perhaps to re-establish relations with Iran.

It seems that the American administration's misreading, which started a war without considering the interests of Arab countries in the Arabian Gulf, has harmed all Arabian Gulf countries from a security perspective; due to Iran's targeting of their territories and economic facilities, especially oil, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which significantly affected the economic interests of these countries by preventing the free flow of trade, including the export of Gulf oil to the world.

Trump's request, mentioned above, is linked to two issues. The first is to use this war to claim that he achieved peace in the Middle East as an accomplishment for him – i.e., for Trump – on the path to expanding the Abraham Accords by employing American military power to subjugate the region, which is one of his political slogans. The second is an attempt to gain the support of the Zionist lobby in the United States for Republican Party candidates in the congressional midterm elections next November; this is due to his failure to completely subjugate Iran through war or armed force.

In my opinion, the pillars of the American administration fully realize that bringing about change in the Middle East requires a repositioning of the interests of regional powers; especially regarding Israel's ambitions in the region and stopping its aggression against the countries and peoples of the region towards achieving comprehensive peace based on rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people, to enhance stability, security, and prosperity in the region.

However, until now, American President Trump has not grasped the essence of the intertwined and interconnected relationships in the Middle East based on history, identity, rights, geography, religion, and economy; for coexistence is not linked to economy and prosperity alone, but rather to recognizing status without wasting any of the inherent interconnected factors in the region and the considerations of each party.