How Trump can mold the Mideast in his own deal-making image

Just weeks after the US-Israeli victory over Iran, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu show no signs of resting on their laurels.

Indeed, the two leaders appear determined not just to halt Iranian nuclear proliferation, but to fundamentally remake the region for the better.

When I served as secretary of state in the first Trump administration, our team recognized that the toxic dynamics of the Middle East could only be reshaped by demonstrating that shared interests can overcome historical grievances and weaken bad actors.

Iran, we knew, has been the primary source of bloodshed and instability since the mullahs came to power in 1979.

The diminishment of Iran’s regional power in recent weeks presents a golden opportunity to build a bright future for the entire region.

Right now, the Iranian regime is historically weak — but it won’t be licking its wounds forever.

We need a comprehensive strategy to keep up the pressure, so that Tehran can never regain its ability to project power and threaten the lives of Americans.

We need Israel to win its war against Iran’s “Ring of Fire” proxies and extinguish them for good, to reinforce the futility of cooperating with Iran to other regional powers.

And we need a renewed maximum-pressure campaign that uses all available points of leverage to ensure that Iran can pose no further threat to America and our allies.

Israel’s accomplishments over the past 21 months have been nothing short of extraordinary.

Since Hamas — Iran’s blood-soaked proxy — launched its barbaric Oct. 7 attacks, Israel has fought a seven-front war against Iran and its terrorist network with remarkable success.

Israel is still fighting to destroy Hamas as a military and governing entity, and its victory remains key to the goal of finishing Iran as a regional power.

Achieving that goal will open up new avenues for peace and cooperation between Israel and its neighbors.

Several Arab nations are reportedly in talks to join the Abraham Accords, a direct result of Israel’s military successes and the collapse of Iranian influence.

As Iran’s clout fades, more nations will see that their future lies in normalization and economic cooperation with Israel — not endless conflict and grievance.

Expanding America’s maximum-pressure campaign against Tehran is another critical component.

This means re-imposing the tough economic sanctions we put in place against the Iranian regime during the first Trump administration, renewing its diplomatic isolation and continuing our willingness to use hard power against Iran and its proxies should they threaten the United States, our allies or our interests.

The first iteration of maximum pressure was tremendously successful, slashing billions in revenue the Iranians needed to fund terrorism and their illegal nuclear program.

With Iran’s military infrastructure and proxy forces at their weakest in years, we now have the opportunity to make those gains permanent.

There’s another pressure point we must exploit: the Iranian people’s hunger for freedom.

Tehran’s theocratic dictatorship rules through lies, fear and brutal oppression because it knows it has zero legitimacy with its own people.

The regime is deeply unpopular. It has been gripped by economic crisis and social unrest for years — and only survived the mass pro-democracy protests of 2022 through abject brutality.

There are few things the Ayatollah and his cronies fear more than the Iranian people themselves.

We should use that fear against them — not by attempting to impose “regime change” on the country, but by supporting the democratic aspirations of Iran’s organized opposition movement.

This would provide a powerful source of leverage while we work to neutralize Iran’s threat to our national security.

And while America is not — and should not be — in the business of attempting to replace Iran’s government, we should be prepared for the possibility that this weak and despised regime may someday fall.

If and when that happens, it would be in our interest to see pro-democracy forces rise and prevent the emergence of a dangerous power vacuum.

The Trump administration can advocate forcefully for the Iranian people on the world stage, and the president can use his unparalleled platform to draw attention to the abuses inflicted upon them by their government.

In addition to rhetorical support, Washington should improve our coordination with Iran’s democratic opposition, and encourage them to develop a clear plan for a peaceful transition in the event of regime collapse.

Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu’s bold leadership, a regional transformation may finally be at hand.

But this historic opportunity depends upon permanently destroying the Islamic Republic’s ability to project power.

If America and Israel stay the course, I’m optimistic that we’re within striking distance of delivering what once seemed an impossible goal: lasting peace and prosperity to the Middle East.

Mike Pompeo was US secretary of state from 2018 to 2021.