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The prospect of a Trump presidency is resonating across the Middle East, bringing uncertainty and the likelihood of real change.

Donald Trump has given few specifics about foreign policy, except to embrace iconoclasm. It鈥檚 about 鈥渨inning鈥� America鈥檚 wars, crushing the so-called Islamic State (IS), and holding traditional allies 鈥� such as those of the Persian Gulf, as well as NATO 鈥撀爐o account for their security dependence on US military strength.

And Mr. Trump鈥檚 praise of strongmen presidents like Russia鈥檚 Vladimir Putin and Turkey鈥檚 Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an is raising questions about how much he may embrace their world view.

Eight years under President Obama has transformed US relations with Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan 鈥撀燼ll crucial but troubled nations that present complex foreign policy issues for the US.

But will isolation or intervention prevail? And what key pivot points in US policy could Trump鈥檚 inclinations transform yet again?

Q: Can Trump fix strained US-Turkey ties?

Mr. Erdo臒an was one of the first leaders to congratulate Trump, and has invited the US president-elect to a meeting 鈥渁s soon as possible.鈥�

Speaking just hours after Trump鈥檚 victory to business leaders in Istanbul聽鈥� where one tall tower bears the name Trump in gilt letters 鈥� Erdo臒an said the election 鈥渕arks the beginning of a new era,鈥� and was a 鈥減ositive sign.鈥�

Turkey has seen relations with the US deteriorate markedly during Obama鈥檚 tenure 鈥� over White House charges that Erdo臒an has grown increasingly authoritarian; over American support of Kurdish Syrian militants in the Syria war, who Turkey regards as 鈥渢errorists鈥�; and over Turkey鈥檚 heavy-handed war against its own Kurdish militants.

鈥淭here is one positive and one negative perspective from Erdo臒an's point of view,鈥� says Behl眉l 脰zkan, an analyst at Marmara University in Istanbul.

鈥淭rump would not bother Erdo臒an with human rights, jailed journalists, and academics. That would be a relief for the AKP,鈥� says Mr. 脰zkan, referring to聽Erdo臒an's ruling Justice and Development Party. 鈥淗owever, Erdo臒an鈥檚 proxies in Syria, including armed fundamentalist groups, would be in a difficult position to get American aid.鈥�

One similarity is Erdo臒an鈥檚 conviction that the two men speak the same language.

鈥淗e thinks exactly like that,鈥� says 脰zkan. 鈥淏oth are far-right leaders for me. Both are construction lovers. Erdo臒an is also obsessed with real estate and airports and bridges.鈥�

Q:聽 What does Turkey want most from Trump?

US-Turkey tensions worsened after a July 15 coup attempt that yielded a purge of 110,000 Turks from government service, a state of emergency, and a surge of anti-Americanism.

Officials say a top priority will be extraditing the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah G眉len, who lives in Pennsylvania and is accused of mounting the coup attempt 鈥撀燼 charge Mr. G眉len denies.

That dream may be closer to reality with Trump, whose top military adviser penned on Election Day, pushing Turkey as 鈥渙ur strongest ally against IS.鈥� Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (ret.) called for the extradition of G眉len, and for the need to 鈥渁djust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority.鈥�

鈥淭o professionals in the intelligence community, the stamp of terror is all over Mullah G眉len鈥檚 statements,鈥� wrote Mr. Flynn, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. 鈥淔rom Turkey鈥檚 point of view, Washington is harboring Turkey鈥檚 Osama bin Laden.鈥�

Q: Will Trump follow realism or idealism regarding Iran?

Few relationships have seen as much change under Obama as that between Iran and the US. While hardliners on both sides still fire rhetorical bombshells, Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shepherded the conclusion of a landmark nuclear deal in July 2015.

The question for Iran is: Which Donald Trump will be making decisions?

Will it be the open-minded tycoon who years ago complained that 鈥渘o one talks to Iran,鈥� and the candidate who noted positively that 鈥淚ran kills IS鈥�? Or will it be the hard-line candidate who said the 鈥渄isastrous鈥� nuclear deal should be renegotiated, and promised never to 鈥渁llow鈥� US sailors to again be captured and humiliated by Iran? Or will Trump present the pragmatic businessman, whose nose for a deal will trump anti-Iran ideology?

Officials in Iran are keeping an open mind. Just two days after Trump鈥檚 victory, Iran 鈥渆xchanged signals鈥� with the incoming team, and the nuclear deal 鈥渋s not the immediate issue鈥� for them, says Abbas Qaidaari, an analyst at the Center for Strategic Studies, a think tank attached to Iran鈥檚 presidency. He spoke in a personal capacity, he says, not officially on behalf of his organization.

鈥淭rump鈥檚 cabinet composition is not yet clear. So probably Iran鈥檚 activities will be more cautious to get an accurate estimation of Trump foreign and defense policies,鈥� says Mr. Qaidaari. 鈥淚n other words, Iran will not be testing Trump by some provocative activities.鈥�

But the unexpected victory may also 鈥渂e a starting point to end hopes of the Western-oriented Iranian political and economic actors,鈥� says Mojtaba Mousavi, founder of the conservative IransView.com website.

鈥淭hey were almost sure that Clinton would be the next president and they can deal with her,鈥� says Mr. Mousavi. 鈥淥n the other side, Trump鈥檚 rhetoric will promote Iran鈥檚 supreme leader鈥檚 and conservatives鈥� idea that cooperation with the US is impossible.鈥�

Q:聽 Can Trump finish the war in Afghanistan?

Obama aimed to end America鈥檚 longest-ever war, which has ground on since 2001. But continued violence against the US and NATO-supported Afghan security forces has meant Obama has stopped the drawdown, and is now keeping more than 8,000 American troops on the ground. And casualties keep coming, including four Americans killed inside the Bagram airbase on Saturday by an Afghan suicide bomber.

鈥淎fghanistan was barely mentioned at all in the campaign and debates, because there is no other approach than a large-scale holding operation, politically and militarily, to stop the deterioration,鈥� says Alexey Yusupov, country director of the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Kabul.

After 15 years of war that has already swallowed billions of dollars in a spotty nation-building exercise, cost tens of thousands of lives, and left the Taliban again ascendant, future US steps will require deft handling. The US troop count was 40,000 when Obama took office.

鈥淭he surge and its abrupt drawdown have not brought any sustainable success, so the way toward peace talks still looks lengthy and complicated,鈥� says Mr. Yusupov.

While the Taliban has consolidated since 2014, it is only being prevented from controlling some provincial capitals by US-led international help. Audacious attacks in the heart of the capital are a steady reminder of the Taliban presence.

Naming specific dates for pullouts, as the Obama administration has done, 鈥渨ould be catastrophic,鈥澛燳usupov says. 鈥淎fghanistan is OK for now, but any prolonged neglect can lead to collapse.鈥�