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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) meets US President-elect Donald Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff at his office in Jerusalem, January 11, 2025. Credit: Prime Minister's Office Spokesperson

Financial Times reported this week that President Trump plans to put Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, in charge of diplomacy with Iran. Witkoff’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was quickly followed by the ceasefire now in effect.

The appointment of Witkoff may signal that Trump intends to take a different approach with Iran. Shortly after midnight on his first day in office, Trump announced on Truth Social that he was not bringing Iran hawk Brian Hook into his new administration: “YOU’RE FIRED!” This is particularly important because Hook was tapped by Trump in November to oversee the State Department transition, a move that encouraged many anti-Iran hawks at the time.

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