U.S. President Donald Trump's most significant influence in the Middle East thus far has been the release of 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The ultimatum he gave ahead of his inauguration prompted both Israel and Hamas to make a deal.
The agreement was prepared during the Biden administration, but the former president could not reach an agreement with both sides.
Trump warned of the gates of hell opening on Gaza and cooperated with the Biden team to bring about a breakthrough in the negotiations. Without him, the deal may not have been reached and the hostages, freed.
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U.S. strikes Houthi targets in Yemen, Donald Trump
(Photo:Khaled Abdullah / Reuters, Mandel Ngan / AFP)
US fighter jets take off in strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen
(CENTCOM)
His second major action was deciding to go after the Houthi rebels in Yemen. On Saturday, U.S. forces began strikes on the rebel army, which the White House says would continue until the Houthis surrender or are defeated by their opponents. For Israel, this would likely mean nightly dashes to the safe rooms and shelters, in keeping with the Houthi practice of launching missiles and drones at Israel.
Trump announced the attacks in a post dedicated in large part to the previous administration, which he called weak and pathetic.
This is the second time the president has continued policies begun by his predecessor, but it is hard to disagree with Trump's criticism of Biden's lack of success. For months, the coalition established by the United States to fight the Houthi attacks on maritime trade in the Gulf failed to deter the rebels. It was clear that a prolonged military campaign was needed but Biden opted instead to maintain a "measured and controlled response," or some such vague strategy that was seen in Sanaa, as a green light to carry on.
On Saturday, Trump announced that the Biden strategy had ended. More importantly, he sent a clear message to Iran, the Houthi's primary supporters. Tehran has long lost its complete control of the rebel army but still provided them with an important power base. "Be careful," he warned the Iranians, "or you will pay the price."
The failure to deal with the Houthi assaults has been the failure of the current world order. A small impoverished group has held a considerable portion of the world's trade hostage. The cost of transporting goods by sea increased by at least 50%, while certain companies simply bribed the Houthis to allow their vessels to pass unharmed, creating a revenue of half a billion dollars annually for the rebel army.
Houthi military parade
With the money, the Houthis purchased more missiles and drones, while many shipping firms opted to send their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal, adding thousands of sea miles to every journey and raising the cost of transporting goods.
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The message to others in the region and around the world was clear. Piracy can return. Even the most important maritime trade routes can be blocked. That was a welcomed message in the Muslim world, which meant that the West was weak.
Now, we can only hope that the Trump administration means what it says and will put an end to this reality. If the Houthis do back down, Iran will interpret it as a prelude to its nuclear plans. China is also watching with interest. This is an important test for Trump and his administration.