Witkoff begins formal service as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East

On 6 May 2025, Steve Witkoff formally began service as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East. He had entered the Trump administration from a real-estate career and had already been acting as a trusted presidential representative in high-stakes negotiations. The role gave him direct access to negotiations involving Israel, Hamas intermediaries, Qatar and other regional actors. His influence came primarily from presidential trust rather than from a conventional diplomatic career. The institutional point is that a private-sector figure moved rapidly into a senior diplomatic role with substantial access to heads of government and conflict negotiations; it does not imply that Witkoff alone controlled U.S. policy or the positions of other parties.