In the Oval Office, not only the fate of Iran will be determined — but the future of the Middle East

The administration in Washington, led by US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is seeking historic moves, mega-deals, and a reshaping of the global map. It is clear to all that in the broad view of the United States, Iran is only one component among many, and that Washington has several "balls in the air" at any given point in time.

Recently, alongside the continuation of the campaign against Iran, one can already clearly identify the campaign for the "day after," which is being waged with full force. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Iraq — all are on the American operating table in what appears to be the beginning of the path toward shaping a new Middle Eastern order.

This order has great significance for the MAGA of the United States, and much of it will also be a product of the characteristics of the American handling of the regime in Iran.

If this is indeed the case, it is vital that Israel present to the President and senior administration officials, precisely now, a number of recommended principles that will form the basis of any new regional order, and try already now, and especially now, to bring about a conceptual alignment between itself and the administration in the United States.

Israel: The physical gateway to Europe

• The economic foundation: India instead of China — the IMEC corridor is the MAGA infrastructure

A new order must rely on a solid economic lifeline. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is not just an infrastructure project — it is the strategic backbone of American competition against China.

A rapid and phased inauguration of the corridor will ensure American control over global supply chains and will directly serve the vision of economic growth and American competition.

Israel is the critical land and maritime link on this route — both vis-à-vis India and vis-à-vis Europe. An early inauguration of the corridor, and of India as a substitute for China, with Israel as the physical gateway to Europe, will normalize many of the question marks in the air.

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• The political foundation: Anything that is not IMEC and tries to find ways to bypass Israel will eventually interface with the Chinese corridor and strengthen it

Any attempt to promote trade routes or regional arrangements through Turkey, without Israeli participation, is nothing but a direct extension of the Chinese "Belt and Road" initiative. One look at a simple geographic map is enough to see this, especially in light of Turkish efforts to reconcile Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It is precisely the path passing through Israel that is the only answer that can place a glass ceiling on Chinese influence in the region.

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• The historical foundation: Sykes-Picot as the cornerstone of the region's problems, and the opportunity for correction

Everyone "sanctifies" the artificial borders of the region's countries, without understanding that it was a blatant and predatory colonial act that created many of the problems that Israel and the United States are experiencing today.

For more than a hundred years, since the Sykes-Picot agreements in 1916, ethnic groups have been divided and failed state entities have been established, such as Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, where the lack of national identity created the vacuum into which the "axis of resistance" entered.

It is precisely the dismantling of the axis in the current campaign that creates a historic opportunity to promote the decentralization of powers, local autonomies, and an organic regional order based on stable local forces connected to their identity — and not on fictitious central governments.

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• The civil-rehabilitation foundation: Like after World War II — a US-led Marshall Plan is needed for the countries of the region

The economic penetration of Iran, Russia, and China into the Middle East exploited broken and poor countries and was the basis for military and subsequently political penetration. The new order must close this loophole.

A comprehensive regional Marshall Plan is required for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the failed states, which will be financed mainly by the Gulf states and will be under American-Israeli strategic planning.

Economic investment will be strictly conditional on the dismantling of hostile infrastructure, complete demilitarization, and security guarantees, to ensure that the "axis of evil" cannot return and operate in these countries.

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• The security foundation: A strategic anchor and American backup bases in Israel

Israel is the most constant, stable, and technological anchor in the region. This is the time to invite the United States to establish emergency stockpiles, logistical infrastructure, and strategic backup bases on the territory of the State of Israel, and to anchor this officially in the security concept of the United States.

The combination of the technological and operational capabilities of the IDF with a permanent American presence on Israeli soil will ensure deterrence and will position Israel as the senior and most reliable security partner of the United States in the region.

The discussion about Iran is only the starting point, not the destination. The meeting at the White House must, precisely now, rise above the tactical turmoil and leave on the table of President Trump and Secretary Rubio principles for a new regional order — from the IMEC corridor, through correcting the distortions of Sykes-Picot, to a regional Marshall Plan and a new American security status in Israel.

This is the true strategic victory that both sides can achieve together.

The author is Amit Yagur, a reserve Lieutenant Colonel, former Deputy Head of the Palestinian Arena in the Planning Directorate of the IDF, and a senior official in the Navy Intelligence.