Trump's Decision to Withdraw from the G7 Summit and Possible Plans for His Middle East Endeavor - Trump's Departure from G7 Summit and Possible Middle East Endeavors
Rebel Without a Cause: Trump's Unpredictable Path in the Middle East
- approximate reading time: 4 minutes
Here's the lowdown on the mastermind behind the current Middle East melee: none other than Donald Trump. With Uncle Sam's military muscle at his fingertips, he's got a heavy hand in the power play between Israel and Iran. And he's flaunting it, boy!
The 79-year-old maverick bails out of the G7 summit in Canada early, leaving the other world leaders hanging. They were eager to find common ground on the new war in the Middle East. The final statement resulting from this lemons-into-lemonade session has all the depth of a puddle – not unexpected for a an uncollaborative, egomaniac like the Commander-in-Chief.
Trump ain't no fan of group hugs, and there's always a hint of potential explosive action in the air whenever he's around. Clap back at French Prez Macron, he does, posting a social media message that screams "Don't mess with me!" Macron had previously hinted at a potential ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but Trump clearly wasn't impressed, dissing the Frenchman.
Is Trump signaling a potential U.S. military action? Is he aiming for a lasting end to the war, a new nuclear deal with Tehran, and an end to Iran's nuclear program? The world's guessing and Trump's loving every minute of it.
Right now, it looks like Trump wants America to steer clear of military conflict, seek a diplomatic solution, and consider a nuclear deal with Iran possible. But who knows – ol' Don might still be making up his mind.
Let's take a gander at some possible ** scenarios**:
1. War, She Don't Love Nobody Now
Iran already views the U.S. as Israel's main supporter in the conflict and pins the blame on the U.S. if Iranian troops launch retaliatory strikes against American bases in the Middle East. If that happens, it's doubtful the U.S. would just sit this one out. Trump has repeated his willingness to retaliate with "an unprecedented level of force." But it doesn't look like weaker Iran's ready to pick a fight with the U.S. just yet.
2. The Lone Ranger
Israel is gunning for Iran with the goal of preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons. Experts say certain nuclear facilities in Iran are buried so deep underground that bombing them would require bunker-buster bombs – something only the U.S. possesses. If Trump were to order the U.S. military to actively participate in attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, that'd be a huge jump in the escalation stakes. But that doesn't seem to be the case right now.
3. The Lebowski Solution
Trump has often made it clear he ain't interested in pulling America into new wars. He'd rather rely on strong rhetoric and military build-up for deterrence purposes. Just before the G7 summit, Trump stated that Iran and Israel should sort it out amongst themselves. But he ain't down for watching the Middle East go up in flames, being blamed for losing control, or seeing oil prices soar, which'd hit his voter base hard. So military non-involvement is a possibility, but political inaction's not.
4. Let's Make a Deal
Trump's been trying to curb Iran's nuclear program through negotiations for months now, promising to relax sanctions against the country in exchange for a limitation of Iran's nuclear program. Direct talks between Washington and Tehran have been taking place under the mediation of the Gulf state of Oman. But the military escalation between Israel and Iran may well have put a spanner in the works. Now, according to Trump, Iran's willing to return to the negotiating table. Tehran might be asking for a U.S. military stand-down and a cessation of Israeli attacks in exchange for talks.
- The European Parliament, in its concern over the war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, has expressed its disapproval of the lack of progress in the fight against terrorism, calling for more policy-and-legislation and diplomatic action to prevent the potential escalation of the conflict.
- Amidst the political tensions between Israel and Iran, general news outlets have reported controversy regarding possible negotiations for a new nuclear deal, with the United States and Iran allegedly engaged in secret talks, mediated by Oman, to curb Iran's nuclear program.
