Gaza realities test Trump’s 2025 Middle East ambitions
During its first year, the second Trump administration confronted wars in Gaza and Sudan, forged new ties with Syria and grappled with the growing nuclear threat from Iran.
WASHINGTON — When he returned to office in 2025, the Middle East emerged as a test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to restore American strength abroad and avoid costly foreign entanglements.
With a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip secured, the Trump administration now faces the more daunting challenge of advancing its next phase, including the disarming of Hamas, the Israeli military's withdrawal and the assembling of an international security force.
As the Gaza truce hangs by a thread, the administration is also juggling a battered Iran intent on rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs and attempting to mediate an unrelenting war in Sudan fueled by regional allies. Without progress on Palestinian statehood, Trump’s much-desired Israel-Saudi deal remains out of reach.
Here’s a look at where some of Trump’s Middle East promises stand after one year, and what his administration is likely to prioritize in 2026.
