Last week, US presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered the longest speech given by a nominee in the history of the Republican National Convention. Despite this, he didn’t help us much in understanding his likely foreign policy. His whole speech echoed his previous statements, saying that he will cancel the nuclear deal with Iran because he considers the US the losing party in it and that he will not provide protection to his allies, like Saudi Arabia, unless he gets something in return.
These two points, if we assume they are truly on his agenda when he wins, are not necessarily bad. I noticed many are happy with Trump’s stances, particularly by his threat to end the deal with Iran. They think that even if he can’t revoke it, he will at least not be enthusiastic in implementing it or in adopting a rapprochement policy with Tehran.
Does Trump have a political orientation that is totally different than that of current President Barack Obama toward Iran and the rest of Middle Eastern affairs?
Truth be told, we don’t know Trump’s orientations, intentions and concerns. I don’t know if anyone knows anything about it. He came a long and exhausting way in the presidential race within the party and he won the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency. There are less than four months before finalizing the battle between him and his competitor, democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, we know a lot about Clinton and her orientations, opinions and those who work with her. There’s a long record of political work, participation and statements that help us draw an image of how the next four years will play out. We do not expect she will be enthusiastic in cooperating with Iran or enthusiastic about the nuclear deal. At the same time, we do not expect she will obstruct it and she may use it as a base to achieve a more expanded regional policy. We expect Clinton to be less enthusiastic than George W. Bush, but livelier than Barack Obama.
If Trump becomes president, he may align completely with Gulf states against Iran and restore the policy of curbing the Iranian regime on the regional level — a policy that existed before Obama came to power — and enhance the power of his allies in the region. But he may also do the complete opposite and be open to Iran and grant it more than what Obama politically and commercially promised it. Lack of clarity in Trump’s policy is not intentionally mysterious but it’s due to the fact that he has never practiced political work and never participated in any activity that may indicate his political interests and orientation toward countries other than the US. Trump is a businessman who has built an investment empire and he has dealt with many institutions, companies and businessmen from across the world, including the Arab world.
A friend who has worked with him once told me that Trump knows the region well and has many partnerships with Arabs but he was never interested in political talk. When he talks about trading American military power in exchange of supporting any ally, like Gulf countries, he doesn’t seem to understand that diplomatic ties, which have lasted for 70 years, were based on mutual interests, not personal relations or charity work. The US as a superpower has interests all over the world.
Despite the racist remarks attributed to Trump against Muslims, Mexicans and others, these statements have not made many in the Arab world angry or worried yet. American elections have always gotten us used to political bidding. What Trump says against extremist Muslims is being said out loud by Muslims themselves today. The world needs cooperation to eliminate terrorism and target its presence and resources. This is a mutual interest.
These two points, if we assume they are truly on his agenda when he wins, are not necessarily bad. I noticed many are happy with Trump’s stances, particularly by his threat to end the deal with Iran. They think that even if he can’t revoke it, he will at least not be enthusiastic in implementing it or in adopting a rapprochement policy with Tehran.
Does Trump have a political orientation that is totally different than that of current President Barack Obama toward Iran and the rest of Middle Eastern affairs?
Truth be told, we don’t know Trump’s orientations, intentions and concerns. I don’t know if anyone knows anything about it. He came a long and exhausting way in the presidential race within the party and he won the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency. There are less than four months before finalizing the battle between him and his competitor, democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, we know a lot about Clinton and her orientations, opinions and those who work with her. There’s a long record of political work, participation and statements that help us draw an image of how the next four years will play out. We do not expect she will be enthusiastic in cooperating with Iran or enthusiastic about the nuclear deal. At the same time, we do not expect she will obstruct it and she may use it as a base to achieve a more expanded regional policy. We expect Clinton to be less enthusiastic than George W. Bush, but livelier than Barack Obama.
If Trump becomes president, he may align completely with Gulf states against Iran and restore the policy of curbing the Iranian regime on the regional level — a policy that existed before Obama came to power — and enhance the power of his allies in the region. But he may also do the complete opposite and be open to Iran and grant it more than what Obama politically and commercially promised it. Lack of clarity in Trump’s policy is not intentionally mysterious but it’s due to the fact that he has never practiced political work and never participated in any activity that may indicate his political interests and orientation toward countries other than the US. Trump is a businessman who has built an investment empire and he has dealt with many institutions, companies and businessmen from across the world, including the Arab world.
A friend who has worked with him once told me that Trump knows the region well and has many partnerships with Arabs but he was never interested in political talk. When he talks about trading American military power in exchange of supporting any ally, like Gulf countries, he doesn’t seem to understand that diplomatic ties, which have lasted for 70 years, were based on mutual interests, not personal relations or charity work. The US as a superpower has interests all over the world.
Despite the racist remarks attributed to Trump against Muslims, Mexicans and others, these statements have not made many in the Arab world angry or worried yet. American elections have always gotten us used to political bidding. What Trump says against extremist Muslims is being said out loud by Muslims themselves today. The world needs cooperation to eliminate terrorism and target its presence and resources. This is a mutual interest.
