21 Appointees like Michael Waltz as incoming National Security Advisor, Mike Huckabee as US Ambassador to Israel, Elise Stefanik as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, together with Republican control of Congress for the next two years, suggest a highly significant opportunity for Israel, with particular relevance for the Iranian nuclear program. The alignment of US and Israeli policies might embolden Israel to take more decisive actions against Iran while enforcing any future arrangement in Lebanon and completing the task of crushing Hamas in Gaza. Furthermore, a second Trump administration could continue the trend of diplomatic normalization between Israel and Arab states, as evidenced by the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. The Sunni Arab moderate bloc would be strengthened by clear signaling from Washington that attempts to contain and appease the Islamic Republic of Iran have ended. On the international stage, the US might renew its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, reinstating sanctions and discouraging other nations from engaging economically with Tehran. This could significantly impact Iran’s economy, limiting its ability to fund proxy organizations and invest in its nuclear program. It is likely that support for future Israeli actionsagainst Iran,whose nuclear program is racing ahead, will be more forthcoming from a second Trump administration However, any move by the future Trump administration to try and contain Russia in a less confrontational manner could end up strengthening Iran, which has become a major supplier of firepower to Moscow. The IranianRussian-Chinese coalition is a mutually reinforcing triangle that allows each member to circumvent sanctions and provide resources the other members lack. With Iranian-made suicide drones flying into both Israeli and Ukrainian cities, it will be vital for the next American administration to make the linkage between the Middle Eastern regional conflict and the global challenges to the American-led world order and international security. Photo: Shutterstock
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