Trumps Mideast trip is his best chance to derail Irans nuclear schemes

Eight years later, everything’s different — except the path forward.That’s the reality as President Donald Trump prepares to visit the Middle East starting Tuesday.In 2017, when Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip as president, the United States had time to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.Now, the clock has nearly run out, and Iran could be weeks away from its goal.To end Iran’s nuclear threat and prevent a wider war, Trump should look to his own record of peace through strength — and ignore the isolationists in his administration, just as he did before.Trump is right to prioritize meeting with our allies in the Middle East.Eight years ago, his visit began a historic shift in the region, paving the way for the Abraham Accords that promoted unprecedented cooperation between Israel and a growing number of Arab countries.Trump went on to pull out of President Barack Obama’s failed nuclear deal, hit Iran with devastating sanctions that crippled its economy and ordered the attack that killed Iranian terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani.In Trump’s first term, Iran came no closer to a nuclear weapon, precisely because it was sapped of financial resources and feared US strength.But over the last four years, Joe Biden systemically weakened the pressure as he desperately tried to re-enter the Obama-era deal.Recognizing that Biden would do nothing meaningful to stop it, the Iranian regime shifted its nuclear program into overdrive.

By the end of his tenure, Iran was as little as one week away from a nuclear bomb.Once again, Trump has an opportunity to solve the Iran nuclear crisis.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.

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He should recognize that while Iran’s nuclear program is stronger than ever, its bargaining position is much weaker: While ...