Analyst Abu Salah of The Zioneer's Arabic Desk argues that President Trump's failure to grasp Middle Eastern dynamics has produced a 'sleeping bear' policy — the US is capable of erasing Iran but remains inert, emboldening adversaries. Salah warns that Trump's reliance on unqualified advisors and his pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize lead him to live in a 'fantasy' regarding Hamas disarmament and Iranian deterrence, risking broader regional instability.
In a new analysis published Friday, Abu Salah, a senior analyst for The Zioneer's Arabic Desk, warns that the Trump administration's approach to the Middle East is fundamentally flawed, comparing the United States to a 'sleeping bear' that adversaries no longer fear.
Salah argues that President Trump, a businessman who does not understand the 'Eastern language,' is trying to impose his will by force on hardline actors that have existed for millennia. He describes the president's decision to surround himself with unqualified crisis managers as a grave mistake, noting that business acumen does not translate to reading Persian or Arab cultural dynamics.
'The bear in the US — if it wakes up, Iran would be erased from the face of the earth within hours,' Salah writes. 'But the bear is asleep. While the bear sleeps, the animals in the forest keep hunting each other.'
Salah also criticizes Trump's pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize, arguing it leads him to live in a 'fantasy' about Hamas disarmament. He asserts that Iran is 'playing Trump on its little finger' and that the president's push for a deal reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the region's history and power dynamics.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, Trump's Iran policy has oscillated between threats of massive retaliation and diplomatic overtures, with analysts divided on whether the strategy is deterring or provoking Iranian aggression. This analysis echoes themes from earlier assessments by Abu Salah, who has consistently warned that Washington's failure to project strength invites further escalation.
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