Donald Blome has been sworn in as the new top US diplomat for the Middle East, after months of uncertainty over who would take up the post.
The assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs typically serves as the main adviser to the Secretary of State on diplomatic relations with the Middle East.
A career foreign service officer whose primary roles have been focused on the region, Mr Blome brings a much-needed level of experience to a role fraught with challenges.
“Drawing on decades of experience across the Middle East, he will advance @POTUS's America First agenda by strengthening regional partnerships, expanding economic ties, and supporting President Trump's efforts to bring peace and stability to the region,” the State Department said in a post on X.
Mr Blome is a former ambassador to Pakistan and Tunisia, and previously held posts in Libya and the US consulate in Jerusalem, as well as other offices across the region, including in Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Before being named for the role, he served as acting assistant secretary for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
The post of assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs had been vacant since Donald Trump returned to office in January last year.
The President initially offered the role to Joel Rayburn, who served in the first Trump administration as special envoy to Syria, but the White House withdrew his nomination in October after he failed to get the necessary votes in the Senate.
Mr Blome is taking up the position at a challenging time for the region. The US war with Iran has sunk into an uneasy lull, with negotiations stalled and growing fears of a return to tit-for-tat strikes.
Many regional partners, meanwhile, exist in a state of limbo, fearing either Iranian missiles or, in the case of Oman, bombardment by the US.
The situation in the occupied West Bank is deteriorating amid increasing raids by Israeli soldiers and rising settler violence against Palestinians. Israeli strikes also continue in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the enclave has stagnated.
War continues to ravage Sudan, with millions displaced and unknown thousands killed. And Syria, rebuilding after decades of autocratic rule, is working to reintegrate into the international community while combating internal security challenges.
The Trump administration has yet to appoint ambassadors to several countries in the region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Instead, major regional files have been handed over to Mr Trump's friends and former business associates, Tom Barrack and Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
