President-elect Donald Trump could score major achievements in the Middle East almost as soon as he takes office.
The Biden-Harris administration left the region in chaos, thanks to its decisions to ease sanctions on Iran; to cut arms to Saudi Arabia; to delist the Houthis in Yemen as a terror group; and to restore funding to UNRWA, despite its links to Palestinian terror. The result was the October 7 attack. But Israel has fought back, and there is new hope for peace.
The main reason for hope is that Israel has succeeded in many of its war aims on the battlefield. It has destroyed most of Hamas in Gaza. It has decapitated the leadership structure of Hezbollah in Lebanon. It has demonstrated an ability to strike the Houthis in Yemen. And, crucially, it has stripped Iran of its air defenses, meaning that it cannot defend itself against a future Israeli (or U.S.) strike on its…
