{
  "id": 5890380,
  "title": "Trump is working on ‘much bigger’ Middle East plan. Here’s what he is plotting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/trump-is-working-on-much-bigger-middle-east-plan-heres-what-he-is",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-06T01:57:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/trump-is-working-on-much-bigger-middle-east-plan-heres-what-he-is-plotting-1.500664589"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "US President Donald Trump is reportedly crafting a sweeping Middle East strategy, dubbed \"much bigger\" than previous plans, in the wake of the Iran war, according to sources cited by Axios. The strategy aims to reshape Washington's approach to the region by strengthening ties with Israel and its neighbors and potentially containing Iran.\n\nThe emerging plan comprises three main components. First, bringing US allies in the region closer together to form a cohesive front against Iran, with the US potentially taking on a security role. Second, winding down ongoing conflicts and tensions that have arisen since the October 7, 2023 attacks in Gaza. This may include advancing Trump's Gaza plan, negotiating a security arrangement between Israel and Syria, and implementing the existing Israel-Lebanon agreement. Finally, and potentially most ambitiously, expanding the Abraham Accords—a series of recent peace deals between Israel and several Arab nations—and securing a normalisation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.\n\nA key challenge in achieving Saudi-Israel normalisation is Riyadh's insistence that any deal must be tied to progress towards Palestinian statehood, while Israeli opposition to such a pathway remains a significant hurdle. Furthermore, bringing together countries with diverse interests and varying relationships with Iran into a unified regional alignment remains a formidable task.\n\nDespite the broader diplomatic goals, Iran continues to be at the heart of the strategy. Even as the US aims to contain Tehran and reshape regional relationships, Iran's continued use of force and economic pressure demonstrates its ability to impose costs. The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of contention, with both the US and Iran vying for control over this critical energy route.\n\nTrump's administration has oscillated between military pressure, negotiations, and economic sanctions during the six-month conflict, leaving the path to a lasting settlement uncertain. This raises a critical question: What will be the next steps if there is no clear resolution to the war?\n\nPolitics could also play a role in shaping the timing of the administration's actions. Israel is set to hold elections on October 27, and US midterm elections follow in November. The Trump administration hopes that the new Israeli government, once formed, will be amenable to cooperating with Washington's regional strategy. However, US officials involved in the discussions note that Trump might still push forward with the plan, even if it results in another political stalemate in Israel.\n\nCurrently, the strategy remains more of an ambitious concept than a fully fleshed-out plan. Officials are working on the proposal at the senior political level and across various US government agencies, with a source familiar with the process suggesting that it could take several more weeks before the proposal is ready for implementation. Nonetheless, the underlying ambition is evident: rather than treating Iran, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and the Arab-Israeli normalization as isolated issues, Washington seeks to integrate them into a single, cohesive regional strategy. The success of this ambitious plan, however, remains to be seen.",
  "summary": "Dubai: US President Donald Trump is working on what he has privately described as “something much bigger” for the Middle East after the Iran war — an ambitious strategy that could reshape Washington’s approach to the region by building a new alignment against Tehran and deepening ties between Israel and its neighbours. The plan, according to Axios, is still being drafted and has been discussed by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "‘Something much bigger’: Trump planning major Middle East reset after Iran war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/something-much-bigger-trump-planning-major-middle-east-reset-after",
        "published": "2026-09-06T04:13:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}