Axios Report: Trump administration developing post-war plan to contain Iran, expand Israel ties

According to an Axios report citing two US officials and two sources familiar with the discussions, the Trump administration is developing a comprehensive Middle East strategy for the post-war period with Iran. The strategy, currently in the early drafting stages, aims to contain Tehran through regional cooperation and expand normalization between Israel and its neighbors during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. The planning is occurring ahead of Israel's October 27 election and the US midterm elections in November. Sources stated that Trump has discussed the emerging strategy with senior advisers in recent weeks and has privately mentioned working on something much bigger for the region once the war ends. The White House declined to comment. Three potential components have emerged: establishing a regional bloc of US allies to contain Iran with Washington as a guarantor; addressing the consequences of the October 7, 2023 attacks by advancing Gaza plans and security agreements with Syria and Lebanon; and expanding the Abraham Accords to include a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. A source familiar with the process noted that the strategy is not yet finalized, stating that the goal is to create a regional alignment after the war, though it remains unclear if all US allies in the region will participate.