In an extensive interview, Jared Kushner, former senior advisor and son-in-law of President Donald Trump, discusses plans for a potential return of Trump to the White House and promises a dramatic expansion of the peace circle in the Middle East.
"The agreement with Saudi Arabia will be the key," Kushner states, "because ten other countries will join right after it, including Pakistan and Indonesia. We had many countries eager to join."
Kushner reveals that during the transition between administrations, he informed Biden's team that an agreement with Saudi Arabia could be achieved within three to six months. However, he claims, "They wasted two years criticizing Saudi Arabia, and only then began to adopt our policies. They did so publicly and clumsily, failing to address the issues of Iran and the Palestinians properly."
Kushner criticizes the Biden administration's Iran policy, noting, "Under Obama, Iran was selling 2.6 million barrels of oil a day. By the time Trump left office, they were selling barely 100,000 barrels a day. The Biden administration stopped enforcing sanctions, allowing them to sell oil worth over $150 billion, which enabled them to refill their coffers."
Regarding Iran's current state, Kushner assesses, "Iran is weaker today than it has been in a long time. Hezbollah was the gun they aimed at Israel's head, and Israel was the hostage. Now, they're extremely paranoid because they don't know how deep Israeli intelligence has penetrated them. From what I hear, it's quite deep. In the recent action Israel took, they destroyed all of Iran's air defense systems and much of their long-range missile production capability, meaning they can't sustain a prolonged conflict."
As Trump potentially prepares for a second term, Kushner outlines his vision for the region: "Our vision was to create one economic bloc linking the port of Haifa in Israel to Muscat in Oman, allowing people to trade, transfer technology, and invest in one another."
Kushner describes the dramatic changes occurring in Gulf states and the immense potential of cooperation with Israel. "When I started working with Saudi Arabia in 2017, the situation was entirely different from what we see today," he recalls. "The younger generation is really taking control. They are building, investing in technology, and genuinely want to pursue a different path than what was thought possible in the past."
"Trump comes today with much more knowledge on the issues"
Kushner explains that these regions spend the highest percentages of GDP on military. "If they can convert that money into bridges and education, with their young population, it will lift the entire region."
As Trump’s second term approaches, Kushner emphasizes the advantages: "Trump comes with much more knowledge about the issues. There won't be a learning period like the first time. He has an amazing team of people in all areas of government." He specifically mentions Steve White, the designated envoy to the Middle East: "I've been working closely with Steve for almost a year. He’s been a good friend for a long time, and I'm helping him prepare so that he and Trump can finish the work we started in the first term."
When comparing the state of the Middle East when Trump took office to today, Kushner describes a dramatic picture: "When we entered, the Middle East was in complete chaos," he recalls. "Syria was embroiled in a civil war with 500,000 dead, Assad was using chemical weapons against the opposition. Libya was unstable, Yemen was in turmoil. Iran had just signed the deal with Obama that flooded them with cash and put them on a path to nuclear weapons."