This year, under President Donald Trump's renewed negotiation framework, the United States attempted an ambitious reshaping of the Mideast through strategic incentives designed to push Arab nations toward peace, stability, and cooperation with Israel.
Each key regional player was offered a carefully tailored "joker card" matching its deepest interests.
Saudi Arabia was invited toward the coveted F-35 pathway.
Qatar received the prized designation of major non-NATO ally protection.
Hamas benefited from repeated ceasefires and American pressure on Israel to pause.
Iran maneuvered itself into a position where Washington restrained Israel from decisive strikes.
Syria saw a one-time terror figure publicly recast as a "legitimate" human-rights leader.
Lebanon was promised global support if it moved to disarm Hezbollah and rebuild Beirut.
Gaza was promised a Mediterranean "Riviera" once Hamas was removed.
On paper, it looked bold, elegant, and transformative.
But the results tell a very different story.
The Arab states pocketed the benefits — and America was outmaneuvered.
Saudi Arabia: Taking the Weaponry, Dodging the Peace
Saudi Arabia returned to Washington this year demanding F-35 fighter jets while refusing to finalize any meaningful movement toward normalization with Israel.
The implicit deal — advanced U.S. capabilities in exchange for joining the Abraham Accords — has not materialized.
America offered the concession.
Saudi Arabia collected the leverage.
Peace stayed theoretical.
Qatar: Protected by America, Promoting Anti-West Propaganda
Qatar secured the ultimate prize: U.S. military protection. Yet it continues hosting Hamas leadership and funding their global messaging ecosystem. Most shockingly, Qatar sponsored a two-day Al Jazeera-backed conference denying the October 7th rapes, murders, and burnings — calling the massacre “fabricated Israeli propaganda.”
Worse: the conference attacked Arab newspapers that reported the truth.
How can the United States defend a nation that uses its platforms to whitewash terror and undermine Western values?
Iran: Restocking, Rebuilding, and Rearming While America Restrains Israel
No betrayal of the peace framework is more blatant than Iran's.
This year, Iran rapidly restocked and rebuilt its missile arsenal, expanded drone production, and sent Hezbollah massive new shipments of advanced munitions.
Its terror pipeline is operating at full capacity.
And here is the devastating reality:
Israel could have crippled Iran’s military infrastructure this year.
Israel had air superiority and actionable intelligence to deliver devastating blows.
But the United States told Israel to stand down, insisting that:
—The new peace framework would prevent Iran from rearming, and
—If Iran did rearm, America itself would intervene and dismantle Iran’s capabilities again.
That promise was not kept.
While Israel paused, Iran surged.
While Israel held back, Hezbollah rebuilt.
While America reassured, Iran positioned itself for the next regional explosion.
This is not a diplomatic misstep.
This is a strategic disaster.
Lebanon: UNIFIL's Troubling Behavior and Hezbollah’s Quiet Rebuilding
Instead of confronting Hezbollah, Lebanon has watched UN peacekeepers reportedly film IDF positions — footage Israeli officials fear is reaching Hezbollah for intelligence use.
Instead of disarmament, Hezbollah is strengthening under Iranian supervision.
The promises to rebuild Beirut into the "Paris of the Middle East" are meaningless when Hezbollah is calling the shots.
Syria: Testing Boundaries and Escalating Attacks
This year, Syrian-linked groups attempted an Oct. 7, 2023-style assault on Israel's Druze communities.
Others opened fire on Israeli soldiers trying to stop attacks. The notion that certain Syrian leaders could be "rehabilitated" into responsible partners has collapsed under reality.
Gaza: The Riviera That Turned Back Into a Fortress
Instead of transforming into a Mediterranean Riviera, Gaza is again under Hamas dominance:
—Hamas is rearming,
—Re-establishing command structures,
—Rebuilding rocket factories,
—And preparing for future conflict.
The international promises to dismantle Hamas and bring a better future to Gaza’s civilians have evaporated.
So What Was the Plan?
The same questions Israel is asking are now unavoidable for America:
What was the real strategy?
What was the plan to protect Israel from another October 7?
What was the plan to prevent Iranian expansion?
What was the plan to pressure Arab nations to uphold their commitments?
What was the plan to help Palestinians build a peaceful future?
The truth is uncomfortable but clear:
America offered tangible concessions — weapons, legitimacy, protection —
while receiving intangible promises that have been openly violated.
Is There a Plan B?
If America hopes to regain strategic footing, it must immediately answer:
—Will F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia be frozen until it commits to real normalization?
—Will Qatar's defense guarantees be revoked if it continues backing Hamas and anti-West propaganda?
—Is there a credible U.S. strategy to dismantle Hezbollah and Hamas if they refuse to disarm?
Will America enforce consequences on Iran’s rearmament — or continue allowing Tehran to rebuild the region’s deadliest terror networks?
Every day of hesitation strengthens extremists and weakens America’s allies.
The Choice Ahead
This year was supposed to usher in a new era of Middle East stability.
Instead, it has revealed a painful truth:
The Arab nations took the concessions, broke the promises, and outmaneuvered the United States.
If America has a Plan B, it must move from theory to execution — immediately.
Because in the Mideast, as Israel learned on Oct. 7, 2023, hesitation is deadly.
Duvi Honig is founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, a global umbrella of businesses of all sizes, bridging the highest echelons of the business and governmental worlds together, stimulating economic opportunity and positively affecting governments' public policies. His work has been recognized by both Presidents Obama and Trump. Read Duvi Honig's Reports — More Here.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.