Trump’s strategies signal a transactional U.S. pivot: a weakened Iran, strong Israel, and integrated Gulf partners, but unpredictability remains a feature.
Browsing: Policy Brief
MBS’s visit deepened U.S.-Saudi strategic ties, but normalization with Israel stalled and questions remain over arms sales and investment pledges.
Sadr’s 2022 withdrawal was a strategic repositioning; through social activism, his movement remains influential and poised for a comeback.
Sudani’s bloc won most seats, but Shia rivals and U.S.-Iran tensions complicate his path to a second term.
Washington demands sovereignty from an Iraq it dismantled and abandoned, managing a fragile system it created while refusing to acknowledge its own role.
U.S. moves against the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR may curb anti-Zionist discourse but risk deepening Muslim alienation and politicizing Israel’s role.
Reducing U.S. military aid to Israel is economically feasible but carries strategic costs; a gradual transition to partnership could preserve the alliance.
Iran is pursuing nuclear talks on its own terms, offering minor concessions while refusing to freeze enrichment or abandon missile programs.
Syria’s post-Assad stability depends on rules-based governance and accountable institutions, not just institutional survival or national elections.
Barrack’s strategy manages Middle East crises through containment and fragmentation, prioritizing controlled chaos over resolution or state-building.