Trump & Iran: Same Pressure, Different Region

As Donald Trump retakes the helm as president, he confronts one of America’s enduring Achilles heels—the Middle East, a region rife with seismic political and security upheavals. Adding to the recent activity in the region, Israel has recently received $7.4 billion in arms sales to improve its ‘defense capabilities.’ Moreover, Trump has also threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran if he is assassinated. Given such controversial remarks and his renewed allegiance to a pro-Israel line carried on from his first term, a question now arises: Will Trump be able to navigate the quagmire rampant in the Middle East by fostering dialogue with Iran and facilitating mediation between Iran and Israel?