Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington on Tuesday can be a significant step forward for the Trump administration to stabilize the Middle East. Despite its loss of Syria and setbacks to its Hamas and Hezbollah proxies, Iran remains the key disruptive actor in the region. Tehran’s nuclear ambitions are very close to realization, and its quests for dominance in the Middle East and the destruction of Israel and America remain unchanged. Further aggravating this scenario, Iran just signed a mutual defense pact with Russia.
The United States and Israel can undermine Iranian-Russian objectives on two fronts. An Israeli-American partnership has emerged to bolster Ukraine’s defenses against Russian missiles and Iranian drones. The U.S. military has transferred about 90 decommissioned Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland for delivery to Ukraine. This is the most significant supply of weapons from Israel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. It demonstrates that Jerusalem calculates that Ukraine’s military resistance impedes Moscow’s capabilities to assist Iran.
In the Middle East, President Donald Trump has stated that his policy will focus on expanding the 2020 Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and America’s Arab allies. With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and a new government in Lebanon vowing to limit the influence of Iran’s proxy Hezbollah, Washington has a unique opportunity to put Tehran in check. Trump can reinstate all sanctions on Iran that were lifted by the Biden administration, limit its energy exports, prevent its nuclear program from reaching weaponization, and help eliminate its terrorist proxies. Taking such critical steps to restrain Iran will also bolster the confidence of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other moderate states to join the Abraham Accords.
Washington must also deepen its engagement with nearby pro-Western Muslim countries such as Azerbaijan, which oppose Tehran’s ambitions. Azerbaijan is a secular, Shia Muslim-majority state and the largest country in the South Caucasus by territory, population, economy, and military capability. It is a growing contributor to Europe’s energy security, supplying oil and gas to European Union countries and Israel, an alternative to Russia, and a transportation hub between Europe and Central Asia.
Azerbaijan has developed more far-reaching ties with Israel than any other Muslim state, including a 30-year military and strategic partnership. Israel sided with Azerbaijan when it reclaimed the territory of Karabakh from Armenia in a brief military operation in September 2020, while Iran supported Armenia. Following the war, disputes intensified between Iran and Azerbaijan over transportation routes across the South Caucasus.
Leaders of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee stated at a December 2024 meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev that Washington had not fully appreciated Baku’s support for Israel. Azerbaijan has been key for Israel’s energy security, has been its largest oil supplier, and boosted its oil exports during Israel’s 2024 war against Hamas. Azerbaijan has also been a leading purchaser of Israeli military equipment. A new military agreement was signed in September 2024 that will boost Baku’s engagement in projects critical to Israel’s security.
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Azerbaijan’s positive regional role is also evident in efforts to mediate relations between Israel and Turkey, which have deteriorated since the war against Hamas. Aliyev has participated in previous efforts and is prepared for a similar role, while also mediating between Israel and other Muslim states. Azerbaijan and Israel have also developed close ties between their intelligence agencies, especially in monitoring Iran, as both countries view the ayatollah regime as an existential threat.
Working with Israel, the Abraham Accords countries, and other partners willing to challenge the Iranian and Russian agendas in the Black Sea basin, the Caucasus, and the greater Middle East will enable the Trump administration to undercut terror and war without having to do all of the heavy lifting.
Janusz Bugajski is a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C., and the author of Pivotal Poland: Europe’s Rising Power and Failed State: A Guide to Russia’s Rupture.