Washington: The new US Administration under the leadership of President Donald Trump has embarked on taking a series of decisive measures that would reshape the US policy toward the Middle East region.
According to Qatar News Agency, these moves have triggered a wide controversy among political and diplomatic circles, especially after President Trump declared a package of executive orders that included a thorough review of the US foreign policy and suspending some aid programs, as well as reevaluating trade and military relationships with some countries in the region.
Accordingly, the White House issued a statement affirming that the new administration will review all international agreements to ensure they are in sync with the US national interests, highlighting that renegotiation on some economic and security alliances could be essential to maintain the US leadership.
At the beginning of his second term, President Trump issued an executive order freezing most US foreign aid for 90 days with the aim of reevaluating their alignment with the US national interests. The order exempted the military aid provided to Israel and Egypt, whilst the review included the support program directed to Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, in addition to reducing the financial support provided to the Palestinian territories.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Professor of International Studies from the University of South Carolina, Gregory Raymond, said Trump Administration seeks to pursue a pragmatic economic approach that ensures leveraging any international agreements directly. However, the suspension of aid could leave a significant vacuum that can be exploited by other powers such as China and Russia to strengthen their influence in the Middle East, he added.
In this respect, the US military strategy in the Middle East is witnessing crucial changes, with the US Department of Defense announcing a reassessment of the US military presence in Iraq and Syria. It clarified that the US Administration would mull all options available to ensure achieving the US strategic objectives with a reduced cost.
In addition, President Trump signed an order that would ease restrictions on exploring oil and gas inside the United States, which could reduce dependence on oil imports from the Middle East. The Administration vows to renegotiate trade agreements with the Gulf states to ensure achieving larger gains for the US firms.
Analysts see that the new US economic policy could reduce the US dependence on Middle East oil. With plans of the new US Administration underway, analysts emphasized that Trump’s foreign policy in his second term draws on the principle of “America first”, implying that all decisions would be directed toward achieving direct gains for the United States, regardless of their impact on conventional allies.
Professor of political science at Yale University, James Connor, highlighted to QNA that the new US Administration seeks to reshape the international system to only serve its interest, which could lead to a dramatic change in the US-Middle East relationship in the years ahead. With the US ushering in a new era of foreign policy, the question is whether the new Administration would be capable of achieving its objectives without compromising stability in the Middle East.