Trump’s return: How will his vision for Middle East peace include Lebanon?

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Shortly after Donald Trump was elected as the 47th President of the United States, hope surged among some Lebanese citizens that he might be able to end the ongoing war and secure a ceasefire agreement, unlike his predecessor. 

Prior to his election, Trump had spoken of a plan to bring peace to the region, although the details remained unclear.

However, the outline of his peace plan began to emerge through the statements of Massad Boulos, the newly appointed U.S. coordinator for Arab relations, who is also the father of Trump's son-in-law, a Lebanese-American. 

The plan's core focuses on the pursuit of "true peace," but what does this mean for Trump, and how will it be achieved?

Trump emphasizes that the peace he envisions should be comprehensive yet fair—this is seen as the primary pillar of his approach. 

In his view, Lebanon must be included in the broader solution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts. He advocates for Lebanese citizens to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors. 

Does Trump’s vision imply normalization between Lebanon and Israel?

Furthermore, Trump’s comprehensive peace plan, as he champions it, cannot succeed without direct engagement with Iran. He sees negotiations with the Iranian regime as critical to resolving several key issues, including the nuclear agreement and curbing the military capabilities—rather than the political influence—of Iran’s proxies in the region. This would involve groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) aligned with Iran.

As Trump enters his second term, will he succeed where he fell short during his first presidency, particularly in his attempts to mediate peace in the Middle East?