Behind Trump’s chaotic diplomacy is a strategic corridor to counter China

president Donald Trump I returned to my office with the promise that there would be no new wars. So far, he has kept that promise. But he also left many of Washington, and many of the American allies – is confused by a series of rapid and unexpected moves middle east.

In just a few months, Trump has reopened Back channel with Iran, He then turned around and collapsed and threatened the government. He kept Israel at arm length – skipping it on his local tour – signaling support once again. He lifted our sanctions against Syrian Muslim leaders. This is someone who has long been treated as something that cannot be touched in Washington. And he made headlines by hosting Pakistani top generals in the White House, just as India publicly opposed.

For those who often watch, it was difficult to identify clear doctrines. Critics watch improvisation – sometimes even contradictions. However, when you retreat, a pattern begins to appear. It is not about ideology, promotion of democracy, or traditional alliances. It’s about access. Geography. Trade.

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More specifically, it could be to resume long-term infrastructure projects aimed at bypassing China and bring the US back to the heart of the strategic economic corridor extending from India to Europe.

The project is called India – Middle East – European Corridor, Or IMEC. Most Americans have never heard of it. It was launched in 2023 at the G20 Summit in New Delhi as a joint initiative of the US, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the European Union. That goal? It will build modern infrastructure links that connect South Asia to Europe without passing through Chinese territory or relying on Chinese capital.

IMEC’s ​​vision is bold, but simple. Indian goods move west through railways and ports along the Bay and Ports, Israel and European markets. Along the way, the corridors connect not only trade routes but also energy pipelines, digital cables and logistics hubs. It is the first serious alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. This is how the US and its partners build influence on the ground without boots.

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However, before construction began, a war broke out in Gaza.

Hamas attack in October 2023 And Israel’s military response has put the region in danger. Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel collapsed. The Red Sea has become a war zone for transportation. The flow of the Gulf capital then pauses. The broader idea of ​​using corridors and infrastructure to connect the regions was quietly shelved.

That’s the background to Trump’s current movement. When photographed individually, it appears to be scattered. In summary, it coincides with the logic of clearing faults to the infrastructure. Trump may not draw a map in the situation room. But his instinct is removing the very obstacles that have stopped IMEC in the first place because of leverage, trading and unpredictability.

His approach Iran This is a typical example of: In April, the back channel resumed on the nuclear front. In May, a ceasefire in Yemen was mediated, reducing attacks on Gulf transport. In June, after Israel attacked within Iran, Trump escalated rhetorically, calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” The combination of engagement and pressure may sound unstable. However, it reflects an approach that clears the diplomatic path with North Korea. Soften the edges and then apply public pressure.

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Meanwhile, Trump’s temporary distance from Israel is hard to overlook. He skipped it on a regional tour and avoided cooperation with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s continued hardline approach to Gaza. Instead, he praised Qatar – a US military partner and quiet mediator in Gaza’s discussions – and showed support for the Gulf-led reconstruction plan. Message: If Israel refuses to engage in regional stabilization, it will not control the map.

Trump also made an unexpected decision to lift US sanctions on Syrian new leaders; President Ahmad Alshara – a person with a past in Muslim groups, now leads a transitional government supported by the UAE. Critics viewed the move as legitimate extremism. But in reality, it unlocked local funding and access to transportation corridors once blocked by US policies.

Even outreach to Pakistan, which angered India, fits into a broader infrastructure lens. Pakistan crosses the border with Iran, affecting Afghanistan, managed by the Taliban, and maintains ties with the Gulf forces. welcome Pakistan’s military chief There wasn’t much about leverage, not loyalty. In corridor politics, geography often forms an alliance.

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This doesn’t mean that Trump has a master plan. There are no confirmed strategy memos linking these moves to IMEC. And the area remains unstable. Iran’s internal stability is not guaranteed. The Gaza conflict could be rekindled. The interests of the Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not always in line with each other. However, under diplomacy there is an ever-growing logic. Eliminate enough conflicts to flow capital again, making corridors investable.

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That logic may not be ideologically pure. It certainly isn’t about spreading democracy. But it reflects true changes in US foreign policy. It’s called infrastructure first Geopolitics – Trade routes, ports and pipelines are more important than treaties or summits.

To be clear, the US is not the only player who thinks this way. China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been working on the same model for over a decade. Türkiye, Iran and Russia are also investigating new logistics and energy corridors. What sets IMEC apart, however, is what makes Trump’s recent moves stand out is the opening for the US to compete without massive military deployments or decades of aid packages.

Even outreach to Pakistan, which angered India, fits into a broader infrastructure lens. Pakistan crosses the border with Iran, affecting Afghanistan, managed by the Taliban, and maintains ties with the Gulf forces.

For all his unpredictability, Trump has always had a sense of economic leverage. That may be what we are seeing here: it is less of a doctrine than a direction. Not much about the epic vision, and not about unlocking chokepoints.

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There is no guarantee that it will work. This area can be turned on 10 cents. And the corridors could remain, as they are now, partially constructed concepts awaiting political will. But Trump’s move suggests that he is trying to build conditions for it to restart, not by talking about peace, but by making peace the condition of investment.

In an area that has long been shaped by wars over ideology and territory, it may be its own strategy.

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