Biden’s campaign showed what his Middle East policy may be as president

Nov 6, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden is close to winning the presidency against incumbent President Donald Trump. The final weeks of the campaign showed what Biden’s Middle East policy priorities might if and when he is sworn in as commander in chief.

Biden frequently referenced Iran toward the end of the campaign, and signaled he would favor a softer approach to the Islamic Republic. At an October town hall, Biden said Trump’s polices made Iran “closer to having enough nuclear material to build a bomb.”

The Trump administration has continued to add harsh sanctions on Iran since leaving the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Biden wants to conditionally reenter the agreement, which removed sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbing its nuclear program. Biden would base whether he would return the United States to the deal on Iranian compliance, according to his campaign website.

Biden also voiced support for the recent normalization agreements Israel has made with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. At the town hall, Biden praised Trump for his role in brokering the deals, indicating that he may continue US policy in helping Israel secure more recognition from Arab states.

The Democratic nominee also frequently referenced the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as the race neared the Nov. 3 election. In a campaign statement in October, Biden criticized Turkish support for Azerbaijan and also called on Iran to stay out of the territorial conflict. Biden also slammed Turkey’s role in the war in September.