US Elections/Foreign Policy on Middle East

The United States has long been regarded as the pivotal power player in the Middle East — leaving its mark in war and in peace for half a century. If President Donald Trump wins a second term, will he double down on his “maximum pressure” against Iran — and will it yield the better-than-JCPOA grand bargain he has promised? Will his Israeli–Palestinian “Vision for Peace” gain traction and wider Arab–Israeli peace achieve momentum? If Vice President Joe Biden assumes the presidency, will American diplomacy take a different tack in the region — asking more of traditional allies and also seeking convergence with now-disaffected European partners? And how is America’s Middle East policy likely to factor into the US election? We’ll look at the two candidates’ records, and domestic and regional factors.