The Middle East is both central to key United States interests and prone to instability. Yet US national security and defense strategic guidance has struggled to account for the unique demands of the region. Calls for strategic divestiture from the region have grown in prominence among analysts and policymakers alike in recent years. Yet events in this turbulent region impose a different reality. The result is a gaping disconnect between stated US preferences and operational exigencies.
The Middle East remains a highly volatile region, prone to unforeseen and often destabilizing events with broader geopolitical effects. Relatedly, even before the war with Iran, US Central Command (CENTCOM) was unique among combatant commands implementing nearly daily kinetic operations. Additionally, China and Russia’s global objectives and activities have turned the Middle East into a theater of competition.
The second Trump administration initially looked to the Middle East as a region of opportunity. With security matters increasingly in the hands of trusted allies and partners, the Middle East could be a source of investment and funding. The Trump administration’s strategic guidance, articulated in its National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS), echoed this optimistic view and downplayed risks. But military and strategic mistakes upended this plan and placed the US in a precarious position. To meet its challenges and fulfill its objectives, the US must revamp its national security and defense strategies to better account for US regional interests and meet the military, diplomatic, and intelligence demands of the Middle East.
Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images
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