Why America can’t quit the Middle East — a geopolitical inevitability

Despite repeated pledges by U.S. presidents to pivot away from the Middle East, Washington remains deeply entangled in the region. Both Barack Obama and Donald Trump entered office promising to scale back America’s involvement, yet both ended up launching strikes in Syria and confronting Iran.

Source The New York Times

The author argues this persistence stems from structural realities: the U.S. remains the only power capable of balancing regional forces, restraining Iran, securing Israel, and stabilizing global energy flows. With China’s influence growing and Europe’s role fading, the Middle East continues to anchor America’s global strategy.

Even now, attempts to reorient toward Asia or domestic issues repeatedly collapse under the weight of geopolitical gravity. Each new crisis — from Gaza to Tehran — pulls the U.S. back. As the article concludes, “America’s failure to leave the Middle East is not a failure at all — it’s the inevitable cost of its own global dominance.”