It must be noted, however, that Trump’s failure to respond to the attacks on Saudi oil facilities in 2019 – claimed by Yemen’s Houthi militia, but which the US blamed on Iran – was among the sparks that led to much hand-wringing in the region and elsewhere that America was in retreat across the Middle East. The Hamas attacks last October revealed this to be a mistaken assumption.
To build on his Abraham Accords achievement, Trump may continue to push for a Saudi-Israel normalisation deal, which was within grasp until Hamas attacked.
QATAR WILL BE WORRIED
One Gulf state that might be more worried about Trump than others is Qatar.
The tiny emirate’s first encounter with him did not go well at all: Just days after a Saudi-led coalition imposed a blockade on Qatar – and only a few months into his first presidency – Trump accused it of sponsoring terror, echoing the accusations made by the blockading states.
Though he eventually walked the comments back, the scar remains. This partly explains Qatar’s decision, just days after Trump’s election last week, to suspend crucial Gaza mediation efforts and to reportedly ask Hamas leaders to leave the country.
Doha did hedge its bets, however, by keeping open the possibility of future talks if “good faith” efforts to seek peace surfaced. This suggests the emirate is trying to tread a fine line in preparation for another Trump presidency.
