Trump will do to Iran what Biden should have done from day one - and it will change the war
Donald Trump is poised to take a far more hawkish approach to Iran and its proxies than President Joe Biden
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Donald Trump is expected to take a far more hawkish approach to Iran and its proxies than the Biden administration.
It comes amid fevered speculation about the incoming president's foreign policy agenda as war engulfs the Middle East.
In the year since Hamas burst through Gaza's border fence, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, Israel has conducted widespread air strikes on the territory and initiated a ground invasion.
The war, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza, has destabilised the entire region as Israel trades rockets with Iran's proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
It has also launched a limited ground invasion in southern Lebanon to decapitate Hezbollah.
In a dramatic escalation, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles into Tel Aviv and other areas of Israel.
Trump's support for Israel has often been described as a "blank check"
GETTYWith the spectre of wider conflict in the region, Trump will look to make his mark in his first few days in office.
He's already signalled that his support for Israel's beleaguered prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come with fewer conditions than Biden's.
Netanyahu has said he has spoken to the US president-elect three times since the election and that both "see eye to eye on the Iranian threat".
Trump's support for Israel has often been described as a "blank check". He also has repeatedly urged to Israel “finish the job” and destroy Hamas since the war started.
His previous stint in office suggests a more aggressive stance towards Iran could be in the offing. Trump's previous policy was characterised by putting "maximum pressure" on Iran, which involved exiting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, in 2018.
His administration also reimposed and escalated economic sanctions on Iran with the intention of crippling its economy and forcing it to the negotiating table for a better deal that would also address issues like its nascent ballistic missile program and regional activities.
Outgoing President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has taken a more measured approach to containing Iranian provocations and Israel's right to defend itself.
The Biden administration condemned Hamas' actions on October 7 and authorized over 100 arms transfers to Israel since the conflict began. It has moved military assets like carrier strike groups to the region to deter further escalation from other parties like Hezbollah or Iran.
However, Biden has raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, repeatedly called for a ceasefire and put pressure on Netanyahu's government to minimise casualties.
The president has not directly called for regime change In Israel, but his criticisms of Netanyahu have been interpreted as such.
This charge was first levelled at Biden when he described the Israeli government as "the most conservative in Israel's history" and indicated that it was making it difficult for Netanyahu to move towards peace or a two-state solution.
He has mentioned the need for Netanyahu to "change" in terms of policy direction or coalition makeup to address issues like the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the broader conflict with Palestine.
Speaking to Fox News, journalist and political commentator Douglas Murray is less charitable about Biden's approach to Israel and its foes.
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Biden has not directly called for regime change In Israel, but his criticisms of Netanyahu have been interpreted as such
REUTERS"It cannot be stressed enough that the Biden-Harris administration devoted much of its energies for the last year in trying to get regime change... where? In Jerusalem. They did everything they could from Chuck Schumer to Kamala Harris to get Benjamin Netanyahu out of power."
Murray continued: "If the White House in the last four years, particularly in the last year, spent one-tenth of the time it spent trying to get regime change in Jerusalem on regime change in Tehran, the mullahs would have fallen by now."
The author of The War on the West reckons the war would have ended a year ago if Hamas had given up.
"Instead, they have been decimated. Hezbollah has been decimated. But the crucial thing is the head of the snake - Iran - and is now naked."
He points out that Iran's air defences have been destroyed.
The political commentator calls on the incoming Trump administration to provide muscular support for Israel without getting directly involved.
Israel should target Iran's nuclear reactors, take out its oil fields and ultimately "topple" the regime, he said, adding: "That's the thing that's stopping peace in the region."
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