President Trump is attempting something that has eluded US presidents for decades: a comprehensive Middle East peace framework that loops in both Iran and Israel.
Trump stated on May 23 that a memorandum of understanding with Iran “has been largely negotiated,” with the deal expected to include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Two days later, he went further, declaring that normalization with Israel “should be mandatory” for countries participating in an expanded Abraham Accords framework.
Two tracks, one giant bet
Trump isn’t running one negotiation. He’s running two, and trying to make them reinforce each other.
The first track is the Iran deal itself. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 24 that “significant progress” has been made in US-Iran talks, though he was careful to note the negotiations aren’t conclusive yet.
