Donald Trump’s second term will upend US foreign policy, nowhere more so than in the Middle East. Given all that the region has endured, it can undoubtedly survive a bully in the White House, but what remains to be seen is whether America’s allies and adversaries gain and lose in equal measure.
WASHINGTON, DC – Donald Trump’s victory in last week’s US presidential election has left many world leaders feeling dejected. European leaders fear that he will browbeat them on issues ranging from trade to defense spending, while those in Latin America are terrified that he will punish them for immigration flows. In the Middle East, however, the reaction has been more mixed. Some leaders are crestfallen, others elated. But those who are cheering now may be pining for a less capricious leader once Trump takes office.