Donald Trump sees Iran talks as gateway to broader Middle East reset

The Trump administration is presenting its new diplomacy with Iran as more than an effort to end a fourmonth conflict arguing that the talks could open the door to a broader transformation of the Middle East and revive ambitions for a regional realignment that has remained elusive since President Donald Trumps first termAs Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials in Switzerland on Sunday senior administration figures described the negotiations as an opportunity to reduce regional tensions prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and potentially expand the framework of cooperation established by the Abraham AccordsWhat the president has asked us to do is turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran Vance said He added that if Irans leadership abandoned regional instability and nuclear ambitions the United States would be willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with that countryThe administrations broader objective was outlined by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz who said the negotiations could create conditions for a fundamentally different regional order We need to give peace a chance Waltz said Perhaps we can finally turn the page to a new Middle East like President Trump did with the Abraham Accords his first termWaltz pointed to growing security cooperation among Americas regional partners and said developments once considered unlikely were now becoming reality No one would have thought even a year ago that youd have Israel and the UAE working together militarily to defend each other as a result of the next evolution of the Abraham Accords he saidRepublican Senator Lindsey Graham also linked the Iran negotiations to a broader regional strategy that extends beyond the current talks Were going to expand the Abraham Accords in calendar year 2026 Graham said during an interview on CBSHe predicted that Saudi Arabia could eventually join the normalisation framework established between Israel and several Arab states during Trumps first term Were going to get Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords Graham said describing it as the biggest change in 5000 years in the MideastGraham argued that a diplomatic settlement with Iran could help create conditions for broader regional agreements If we get a deal Iran will be in a box he said If we dont get a deal Iran will be in a box Administration officials have repeatedly argued that diplomacy backed by military pressure places Washington in a stronger position than previous negotiations with TehranWaltz said the United States was negotiating from a devastated Iranian economy and a devastated Iranian military while remaining focused on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weaponsThe vision being advanced by the administration faces significant obstacles Critics have questioned whether the memorandum of understanding with Iran provides too many concessions upfront and whether Tehran can be trusted to honour future commitments Some lawmakers have also expressed concern that Iran could use economic relief to rebuild military capabilities and support regional alliesNevertheless administration officials maintain that the negotiations should be viewed as the opening stage of a larger diplomatic effort rather than a final settlementThe Abraham Accords brokered during Trumps first term established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain The agreements were widely viewed as one of the most significant diplomatic shifts in the region in decadesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever