Tue Apr 15 18:12:58 UTC 2025: ## Trump Seeking Middle East Deals, Despite Tensions with Netanyahu: Expert
**Washington, D.C.** – President Donald Trump’s Middle East policy, while seemingly unconventional, shares a core objective with his predecessor Barack Obama, according to Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Both administrations, Cook argues, aim to reduce significant US involvement in the region.
Cook suggests that Trump is actively pursuing a deal with Iran and may be pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to de-escalate the conflict in Gaza ahead of a planned trip to the Gulf next month. He highlights a significant “trust deficit” between Trump and Netanyahu, explaining Trump’s recent call for Netanyahu to adopt a more conciliatory approach towards Syria and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This suggests a potential divergence in approach, despite the shared overarching goal of lessened US entanglement.
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