

Trump can prevent a war among America’s Mideast allies
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Syria’s possible descent into another civil war, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, the United Arab Emirates’ failed offensive in Yemen, final U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, and the slow transition from war to peace in Gaza may appear to be disconnected events in a fractious region.
They form a pattern, however, of a deepening regional crisis. With the decline of Iranian ambition, a new Middle East is taking shape, one that pits U.S. allies against each other.
President Trump has an opportunity to do more than negotiate a cease-fire in the Middle East. If he thinks beyond Iran, he can stop a war from breaking out. Mr.
Trump has waited to strike Iran, but the Islamic Republic is in terminal decline. One way or another it will fall, either through toppling or imploding from within. Meanwhile, other rivalries—with U.S.
allies on both sides—are supplanting the Iran-Israel antagonism. On one side stand Saudi Arabia and Turkey; on the other stand the U.A.E. and Israel.
Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman sees the Emirates as a mortal threat to the kingdom’s survival. The Emirati monarchy has become a “Switzerland in the Gulf," complete with international finance, maritime trade and even AI development, to offset declining oil revenue. In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Riyadh’s attempt to offset its own oil dependency, has stalled.
The crown prince seems to realize that only one Gulf power can become a full-service Westernized financial hub, motivating Saudi Arabia to try to stymie Emirati ambitions and coerce the U.A.E. into becoming a junior partner to the kingdom. In Yemen, the two powers squared off as the U.A.E.
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