Key Takeaways
- President Donald Trump has declared the "long, difficult war in Gaza" officially over, coinciding with the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas and the implementation of a US-brokered peace plan. The plan includes the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, though Hamas has publicly rejected full disarmament.
- The US conducted "massive precision strikes" on three key Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, with President Trump asserting "monumental damage" was inflicted, aiming to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is advocating for G7 allies to impose tariffs on China and India to pressure them to cease purchasing Russian oil, linking China's actions to financing war and pushing for world peace. This comes as US-China trade tensions reignite, with Trump threatening increased tariffs on Chinese goods.
- The Trump administration has pledged $230 million in military aid to Lebanon to support its security forces in efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a move that comes amidst ongoing regional instability.
- Efforts to expand the Abraham Accords are ongoing, with President Trump indicating that more countries have expressed interest in joining the normalization agreements with Israel.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the "long, difficult war in Gaza has ended," a declaration made as the final living Israeli hostages were released by Hamas as part of a US-brokered peace deal. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold, stating, "The war is over, okay? You understand that?". This development is a crucial step in Trump's 20-point peace plan, which envisions Gaza as a "de-radicalized terror-free zone" and mandates the demilitarization of the territory and the disarmament of Hamas.
Under the peace plan, Hamas is expected to disarm, although the militant group has publicly rejected the idea of full disarmament, with one official calling it "out of the question". The agreement also includes the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners by Israel in exchange for the Israeli hostages. Following his visit to Israel, Trump is scheduled to co-host an international summit in Egypt with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to further discuss the peace plan and regional stability.
In a significant foreign policy move earlier this year, President Trump recalled US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, stating that "monumental damage" was inflicted. These "massive precision strikes" targeted three key nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan – with the objective of destroying Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity. Vice President JD Vance clarified that the US was at war with Iran's nuclear program, not Iran itself, and that the strikes had significantly set back the program. Trump emphasized that Iran "must now make peace" or face further, larger attacks.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has intensified pressure on China regarding its trade practices and purchases of Russian oil. Bessent stated that the US is "pushing for world peace," while China is "financing war" by continuing to buy Russian oil. He urged G7 allies to impose "meaningful tariffs" on imports from China and India to curb Russia's oil revenues and pressure Moscow towards peace negotiations in Ukraine. This stance comes amidst renewed US-China trade tensions, with Trump threatening a "massive increase" in tariffs on Chinese goods, potentially plunging the world's two largest economies back into a full-blown trade war. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has rebuffed the US call for tariffs, stating that "war cannot solve problems, and sanctions will only complicate them".
In the broader Middle East, the Trump administration is actively supporting efforts to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US has pledged $230 million in funding for Lebanon's security forces, including $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces (ISF). This aid aims to enable the LAF to focus on broader military duties and implement a Lebanese government plan to disarm Hezbollah.
Furthermore, President Trump highlighted the "extraordinary potential" of the Middle East and expressed a desire for many more countries to join the Abraham Accords. He indicated that additional nations have approached him about normalizing relations with Israel. Reports suggest the second Trump administration has been seeking to expand the Accords to include countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, though some nations, like Syria, have reportedly declined.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.