Trump’s Illusions vs. Middle Eastern Realities
Jalal Khosh-Chehre, the editorial chief of Borna News Agency wrote: Years ago, French writer Thierry Desjardins noted in One Hundred Million Arabs: “A real peace would destroy Zionism. Israel is in danger of peace — and that slogan has always worked.” Today, Trump, buoyed by the devastation in Gaza and Tel Aviv’s ongoing territorial ambitions, imagines that his visits to Israel and Cairo can secure a “peace document” endorsed by world and regional leaders. Yet, looking back over seven decades of Middle Eastern history, one wonders: how can Trump speak so naively of peace while his administration has magnified Washington’s double standards toward the region?
Trump’s worldview reduces complex crises — from Ukraine to Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran — to simple binaries. His optimism moves faster than the realities on the ground can follow. Consider Gaza: can the release of Israeli hostages and the temporary halt to fighting bring genuine peace? At best, this is a fragile ceasefire, not the foundation of a lasting settlement.
In Israel’s Knesset, Trump proudly praised his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for “stopping the Gaza war,” even comparing him favorably to Henry Kissinger. But Kissinger, who ended several Arab–Israeli wars and brokered the Camp David Accords, was under no illusion. He understood that Israel’s expansionist doctrine and Washington’s dual standards meant he could, at best, play the role of an “interim firefighter,” not a peacemaker. Kissinger later admitted that unless the U.S. reformed its double-standard policy, no genuine solution in the Middle East would ever endure.
So the question is: what has Trump changed in that long-entrenched double standard? His “peace through power” doctrine mirrors the very same coercive logic he shares with Tel Aviv. Will his supposed roadmap end the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, and even tensions with Tehran — or are these merely the rhetorical rainstorms of his self-congratulatory speeches?
Trump’s boast that the next phase of his foreign policy will “end the Ukraine war” recalls the failed 2021 Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin — a reminder that Russia, unlike Gaza, will not bow to Washington’s dictates.
Beyond Gaza’s current ceasefire lie deeper and more dangerous questions: Will Arab states accept Tel Aviv’s claim to regional dominance? What becomes of Gaza’s political future, Hamas’s disarmament, and security arrangements across both Gaza and the West Bank? How far will Europe and the Arab world go in supporting Washington’s plans? And crucially, how long will regional publics tolerate an order engineered by the Washington–Tel Aviv axis?
A new crisis is already looming. Arab governments, including Egypt and Jordan, may not expect an immediate war with Israel, but they recognize the risk of being forced to absorb Gaza’s displaced population — a scenario that would shift the refugee crisis and its security burden onto their own soil.
Contrary to Trump’s idealistic rhetoric about the “Abraham Accords”, the Middle East remains far from his imagined harmony. Netanyahu, well aware of Trump’s ego, continues to exploit it — extracting short-term political and strategic gains while leaving the U.S. president blind to the storm gathering beneath his self-declared “peace.”
About the Author: Jalal Khoshchehreh is the Editor-in-Chief of Borna News Agency and one of Iran’s most distinguished political journalists. With decades of experience across major Iranian media, his analyses focus on diplomacy, Middle Eastern politics, and international strategy.
End Article