Lebanon key to Trump plan for turnaround in Middle East
The final "This Week" column reflects on US policy toward Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza.
The prospects for peace and integration in the Middle East, beginning in Lebanon, may be entering the last mile.
US leadership has gotten us to this point. President Donald Trump’s approach to the region has combined relentless, careful diplomacy with a clear endgame: a region driven by commerce not conflict; an expansion of the Abraham Accords; and sidelining Iran’s malign influence and capabilities, including the use of force, while still offering an opportunity for diplomacy under the right conditions.
Trump has also forged an unprecedented partnership with Arab Gulf states Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. His choice of those capitals for his first foreign visit catalyzed a historic unity and coherence in collective diplomacy toward the region.
This may be paying off as we approach what will be the final steps of the last mile, which is often the hardest mile — even with the finish line in sight. My thoughts on the next steps are as follows.
