Hegemony of the United States and the Middle East

Abstract

The hegemony of the United States (US) in the international order is a widely accepted truth in today’s world. During the Cold War era, the US predominance was greatly curtailed by the power of the Soviet Union and after the Soviet Union’s disintegration, the US rose to power as the undisputed hegemon in the international order. Through the years that followed, the US has been able to influence internal politics of many states using its preponderant power. The Middle East has been and still continues to be a region of great importance in US foreign policy. Since the British forces withdrew from the Middle East, the US has attempted to ensure its preeminence in this strategically important region. Therefore, the US implements various foreign policy strategies which are aimed at enhancing its influence in the Middle East. The main objective of this study is to analyze the foreign policy strategies that the US implements towards the Middle East and examine whether the US foreign policy strategies towards the Middle East serve in safeguarding its hegemonic position in the world order. This study adopts a qualitative methodology and is mainly based on secondary data. An extensive literature survey was conducted and the information and data collected are analyzed in a theoretical perspective. The Hegemonic Stability Theory, Realism, Offensive Realism and Offense-Defense Theory are the main theories that are incorporated in data analysis. In the analysis, US foreign policy towards Iran, Iraq, Israel-Palestine is given prominence. As per the study, the US foreign policy strategies towards the Middle East serve in safeguarding the US hegemony in the world order. However, the US foreign policy strategies towards the Middle Eastern region have a negative impact on the image of the US as a benevolent hegemon.