Donald Trump has expressed hope that the long-running conflict with Iran is approaching resolution, marking a potential turning point in American Middle East policy after years of maximum pressure and mutual hostility. Yet even as Washington gestures toward de-escalation with Tehran, the war between Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia continues to intensify, reminding the world that the Middle East's interlocking conflicts have never been fully within any single power's control. The distance between a leader's words and the ground beneath them is, in this region, a well-worn and cautionary space.