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Opinion

Trump’s Middle East Moves Seem Disjointed—but They May Be Aligning Around a Bigger Strategic Shift

Trump’s Middle East Moves Seem Disjointed—but They May Be Aligning Around a Bigger Strategic Shift
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13, 2025.. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Tanvi Ratna
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Commentary

Donald Trump returned to office in 2025 with a familiar message: no new wars. So far, that promise has held. But American policy in the Middle East has rarely looked more unpredictable. Within months, the Trump administration has swung between positions that appear contradictory, even to close allies.

Tanvi Ratna
Tanvi Ratna
Author
Tanvi Ratna is the founder of emerging tech policy think tank Policy 4.0. She was formerly on Capitol Hill in the GOP House Foreign Affairs Committee and also worked on campaign strategy for Prime Minister Modi. You can follow her work on X and Substack.