Global politics often hinge on a singular driving force: the pursuit of national interest. Across the world, regional geopolitics are constantly shaped by the priorities of powerful states, both global hegemons and other significant powers, as they blend complex alliances and strategies with developing nations to further their objectives. This reality is evident today in the Middle East, a region where multidimensional national interests have coalesced around the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The area has long drawn the attention of major global players due to its oil resources, but ongoing instability in the region has persisted, fueled by a mix of local rivalries and global interventions.

Historically, the Middle East has remained volatile despite its vast oil wealth, a situation that has roots in the 1970s petro-dollar agreement, which cemented the U.S. dollar’s role as the standard for global oil transactions. This agreement further consolidated the United States’ influence, helping it attain global dominance. However, the region has seldom known peace, weathering upheavals such as the Iranian Revolution, the Gulf Wars, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in neighboring conflicts, the Arab Spring, and the longstanding rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia for regional leadership.

A critical question arises from these tensions: who benefits from the instability of the Middle East? The U.S., as the leading superpower and a long-time ally of Israel, has historically made limited diplomatic efforts to bring lasting stability to the........

© The Spine Times