Amid escalating global tensions, Trump struggles to be a 'peacemaker'

As the conflict between Iran and Israel grows, significant parts of President Donald Trump's MAGA base are calling for the U.S. to avoid getting drawn in.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is considering a range of options to resolve the worsening conflict in the Middle East, including a possible U.S. military strike against Iran, current and former administration officials said in a fresh sign of rising global tensions on his watch.

Trump cut short his appearance at an international summit meeting in Canada to return to the White House at dawn Tuesday and focus on the conflict that has broken out between Israel and Iran. In leaving the summit early, he dropped a planned meeting with Ukraine’s leader about the grinding war with Russia, which Trump once pledged to end on his first day in office.

The fast-moving events suggest that global crises are piling up in ways that are impinging other parts of Trump’s agenda.

The stock market — a measure Trump has long viewed as a presidential report card of sorts — fell Tuesday amid the Middle East conflict.

The death toll continues to rise in Gaza as his efforts to mediate a peace deal between Israel and Hamas falter. Though Trump prides himself on a respectful rapport with Vladimir Putin, Russia launched a drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday that killed 15 people and targeted a residential apartment block.