Trump Planning "Something Much Bigger" For Middle East After Iran War: Report

The Trump administration is looking beyond the Iran war and working on a broad plan that could reshape the US approach to the Middle East after the war ends, according to a report by Axios.

The strategy, still being drafted, is expected to focus on building a regional front to contain Iran while pushing Israel towards deeper ties with its neighbours, two US officials and two other people familiar with the discussions told the publication.

Trump has privately told people that he is working on "something much bigger" for the Middle East once the war with Iran is over.

According to the US officials, the strategy is being developed both by senior advisers and by officials across several US government agencies.

Three Pieces Of The Plan

The first strategy is the idea of bringing US allies in the region into a closer alignment against Iran, with Washington potentially acting as the security guarantor.

The administration is also looking at ways to wind down some of the conflicts and tensions that followed the October 7, 2023 attacks.

That could include moving ahead with the next phase of Trump's Gaza plan, negotiating a security arrangement between Israel and Syria and putting the existing Israel-Lebanon agreement into effect.

The third major goal is expanding the Abraham Accords and securing a normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-Israeli agreement would be a major prize for Trump and could give his administration a centrepiece achievement in the region after the Iran war.

Israel Election Could Complicate The Plan

Israel is due to hold elections on October 27, while the US midterm elections are scheduled for November.

Trump's team is hoping the Israeli government that emerges from the election will be prepared to work with Washington on the new strategy.

But the administration does not appear ready to wait for Israeli politics to settle.

Some US officials believe Trump will press ahead even if the election results produce another political deadlock, according to the sources.

Plan Still Taking Shape

Trump has already discussed the emerging strategy in two meetings with senior advisers in recent weeks, where different ideas were put on the table.

However, one source briefed on the process said officials could need several more weeks before the strategy is ready.

"They are cooking it, but it is not yet cooked," the source said.

"The idea is to tie a whole lot of things in the region together - how you create a regional alignment after the war. It is still unclear if all US allies in the region will be on board," the person added.