Trump Says Israel-Iran Peace Is Possible
In a sweeping new post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump made an assertive claim: peace between Iran and Israel isn’t just desirable — it’s inevitable. “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” he wrote late Saturday, adding that trade with the U.S. will be the leverage to make it happen.
The tone was vintage Trump — confident, confrontational, a little boastful, and deeply personal. But behind the bravado was a core message: he believes diplomacy, backed by economic influence, can reshape some of the world’s most stubborn geopolitical rivalries.
Whether he’s right this time… well, that’s harder to say.
Pointing to past ‘successes’ — some more verifiable than others
Trump’s message wasn’t just about the Middle East. He also drew parallels to several conflicts he claims to have helped de-escalate during his first term. He pointed to trade-based diplomacy between India and Pakistan, the U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo economic agreement, and his engagement in the Ethiopia-Egypt Nile River dispute.
In fairness, the Kosovo-Serbia agreement was signed at the White House in 2020, and some diplomats credited the Trump administration with opening communication channels. But calling it a lasting peace deal? That feels like a stretch. The conflict remains simmering, as the International Crisis Group has noted. The same goes for Egypt and Ethiopia, where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam continues to be a source of tension, despite periodic quiet.
Still, it’s clear Trump sees himself not just as a dealmaker, but as a kind of lone architect of global calm — a man who moves the chess pieces while others watch.
“Make the Middle East Great Again” — a slogan or a strategy?
The post ended with a flourish: “MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!” It’s catchy, sure. But beyond the caps lock and slogans, what’s less clear is how this vision would play out in practice. Trump claimed “many calls and meetings” are happening, though offered no names, no nations, no specifics. That’s typical of his style — suggest momentum, keep the details vague.
So will there be a breakthrough between Iran and Israel? Possibly. But peace in the Middle East has been declared “near” so many times before, it’s hard not to take each new claim with a grain of salt — or perhaps a whole bag.
For now, Trump seems to be betting that his blend of assertive leadership and economic pressure can do what decades of diplomacy have failed to accomplish. Whether that’s visionary or hubristic… depends on how this plays out.
