Ten Years After the Arab Spring. Engagement vs. Disengagement in US Policy to the Middle East

The chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the shifting dynamics of US policy in the Middle East since 2021. The contrast between a reduction in military involvement and efforts to develop a regional security system is reflective of the complex and evolving nature of US interests and strategies in the region. The withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan and their substantial reduction in Iraq on one hand, developing a regional security system characterized by peace agreements between the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel, as well as efforts to restore the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran and easing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the other. Meanwhile, democracy promotion is almost invisible in Washington’s agenda to the Middle East. From the perspective of 2021, the chapter proffer answers to the intriguing question of what should be the role of the US and whether the withdrawal of Washington from the Middle East would contribute to stabilization or otherwise rather proliferate instability, deepen existing tensions, and provoke new ones.