With President Donald Trump entering his second term, the reinstated "maximum pressure" policy continues to escalate tensions between Iran and the United States. In February, the Trump administration imposed sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the goal of these new sanctions was to "collapse its already buckling economy."

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the U.S. took place on Jan. 20, 2025. He said during his election campaigns, "There will be no war from Day 1 when I come to the office." It is too early to tell if he can achieve its objectives and commitments to ending wars in Europe and the Middle East, but it is obvious that Trump is more powerful than he was in his first term. He took the majority of both the House and Senate and will be in full control of the United States government for the next two years.

During a recent diplomatic engagement, Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan underscored Türkiye’s commitment to fostering a regional counterterrorism framework independent of global hegemonic influence during his visit to Baghdad. Subsequent statements from Fidan revealed that a preliminary agreement had been reached for a joint cooperation mechanism involving Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Türkiye. The inaugural meeting of this quadrilateral alliance, initially centered on combating Daesh, is set to convene in Jordan with the participation of high-ranking officials, including the ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, alongside the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

Türkiye enters 2025 in an increasingly competitive and uncertain global political environment. The international system is characterized by intensifying great power rivalry, particularly between the U.S. and China, a protracted war in Ukraine and deepening instability in the Middle East. Against this backdrop, Türkiye is pursuing a pragmatic and interest-based foreign policy prioritizing security, economic resilience and strategic autonomy.

The year 2024 has been recorded as one of the most brutal years for the Palestinian people and the Middle East. Israel insistently continued its genocide in Gaza and its expansionist and aggressive policies toward other regional states. Furthermore, it continued to recklessly violate the basic principles of international law and human rights. It seems that the year 2025 will not bring any change for the Palestinian people. Their destruction and resistance will continue.

The year 2024 has been recorded as one of the most critical years of modern times for the Middle Eastern region. It was full of conflicts, wars, humanitarian and economic crises, political devastation, mass killings and even genocide.

The Middle Eastern developments continue to set the agenda of international politics. The Al-Aqsa Flood has become a turning point for the whole region. The ongoing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people and the Israeli aggression against the sovereignty of regional countries, directly and indirectly, influence all regional dynamics. Israel’s attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian proxies in Syria have dramatically changed the Syrian context as well. As a result of the shifted regional balance of power, the opposition forces, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA), initiated a military operation against Syria's Bashar Assad regime on Nov. 27.