2025 — Washington, D.C
Former President Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding U.S. military pressure influencing Iran to engage in diplomacy have raised fresh doubts as to whether similar leverage could bring an end to Gaza’s conflict, yet Trump has shown no indication he intends to use his influence to de-escalate it.
Trump touted at a campaign rally earlier this week that his tough stance against Iran, including what he described as successful U.S. strikes against underground nuclear sites, had forced Tehran into negotiations. “They didn’t want to talk; now they want a meeting!” he declared proudly. “That’s what strength does.”
Observers point out that President Donald Trump’s Iran strategy, comprised of military and economic pressures with high risks, did produce short-term talks openings; however, critics claim it has also led to long-term instability. Analysts now wonder whether Trump, if motivated, might apply similar pressure or persuasion efforts towards ending bloodshed in Gaza?
“President Trump still exerts significant sway over certain Israeli decision-makers and right-wing factions in the region,” noted Dr. Elana Weiss of Georgetown University’s Middle East policy department. If Trump wanted to push for ceasefire or humanitarian corridor negotiations instead of more violence between groups in Gaza and Palestine, that might carry more weight – something we aren’t hearing much of from him at present.
Trump has largely been silent on how best to resolve the conflict, other than repeating his support for Israel’s right to self-defense and its right to defend itself. In recent speeches he has attacked President Biden’s weak leadership while accusing Democrats of emboldening Hamas by demanding restraint measures from them.
“Israel must finish the job now,” Trump stated at a rally in Ohio. “No more delays. No more lectures from Washington.”
His remarks came at a time when humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to rapidly worsen, according to international relief agencies, over 12,000 civilians have been killed since fighting resumed in April, with basic infrastructure collapsing due to airstrikes and blockades.
Trump has failed to propose any roadmap for peace or accountability despite mounting condemnation from human rights organizations and mounting protests in Western capitals. His past record, such as brokering the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states in 2020, suggests he has the diplomatic capital but perhaps not always the political will required.
“Trump is carefully considering his political base,” according to Julian Mark, a former U.S. diplomat. Any moves towards pressuring Israel – even indirectly – could be seen by parts of his evangelical and conservative supporters as disloyalty to them.
Trump positions himself as a dealmaker who can persuade adversaries into negotiations, with Gaza being an exception. While he portrays Iran’s supposed return to dialogue as proof of US power, he has not extended the same urgency toward ending one of the region’s worst humanitarian crises.
Trump remains a dominant voice in Republican politics and an expected contender for the 2024 nomination, yet his inaction towards Gaza war is increasingly under scrutiny. As war continues onward, so too does silence from a man who once promised he could bring peace “like never before.”