[Column] US isn’t pulling out of the Middle East — it’s being kicked out

The Middle East, once a battleground for American and Soviet dominance, is now witnessing a shift as Washington finds itself pulled deeper into the region's turmoil. In 1945, the United States cemented its influence with the establishment of Israel, following the Yalta Conference that shaped the post-war global order. However, the region's dynamics have since evolved, with Arab nationalism surging and Soviet expansion halted by the Six-Day War in 1967.

The Yom Kippur War of 1973, coupled with an oil shock, bolstered American unipolar hegemony, as the U.S. guaranteed Saudi Arabia's security and launched the petrodollar system. This period marked the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the U.S. established a knowledge-based economy and advanced high-precision guided weapons technology.

The emergence of Islamist forces in the 2000s, fueled by the 9/11 attacks, led to the Global War on Terrorism, including military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. officially withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011 but remains engaged in Afghanistan. President Obama's 2015 withdrawal strategy and the Iran nuclear deal ultimately failed, as recent events such as the unmasking of the Iran nuclear deal and the Abraham Accords have driven the U.S. further into the Middle Eastern crisis.