How Classical Geopolitics Impact U.S. Foreign Policy for Middle East

UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST
By (Student Name)
Course
Professor
University
City and State
Date
Introduction
Despite its volatility, the Middle East region remains of unquestionable significance in the international political realm, which tremendous influences that date many centuries. Global powers and countries within this region are constantly fighting for natural resources, leadership positions, and land. It is increasingly important to note that the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks significantly altered U.S. foreign policy for the Middle East. Following the September 11 events, the Bush administration embraced the concept of pre-emptive attacks as the primary pillar for protecting American strategic interests in distinct world regions, including the Middle East (Cristol, 2018, p.55). For roughly two decades following the culmination of the Cold War, the Middle East’s regional hegemonic relations were largely stable, and America was the undisputed and dominating external power. However, the current status quo is characterized by the region’s instabilities, including but not limited to civil unrest, imminent revolutions, and the resurgence of major power rivals such as China and Russia. These shifts have significantly altered the geopolitical landscape within the region. As one of the leading nations in terms of gross domestic product and military capabilities, the U.S. foreign policy is geared at exerting influence and spreading the philosophy of capitalism (free trade) and democracy in different world regions, including the Middle East. In order to understand the Middle East and its impact on international politics, a researcher must study and appraise the geopolitics of this interesting region. Several geopolitical theories explain the explosive and unsettled landscape of this region. This paper evaluates the impact of classical geopolitical theories on U.S. foreign policy for the Middle East.
Research question
The research paper is guided by the following research question: How does classical geopolitics impact U.S. foreign policy for the Middle East?
Literature Review
After the Cold War, the bipolar world system was superseded by a unipolar world order. America is the hegemonic power in a unipolar world system, both militarily and financially. To maintain its global supremacy, the United States develops regional policies such as policies in the Middle East, the Far East policy, Latin American policy, and so on. Among the world’s territories, the Middle East is the most important (Gause, 2019, n.p). America’s Middle East agenda always focuses on specific issues such as economy, security, and domination. The U.S. has clear goals in the Middle East, which it has constantly sought for almost a century. Those objectives are best described as ‘imperialist,’ concentrated on the quest for geo-strategic benefits in the dominance of the region’s energy resources—oil and natural gas.
When the United States formulates its foreign policy, it always prioritizes Middle East territory. Of course, America has been the dominant force in world events since World War II. It is crucial to recognize that a variety of facets of U.S. history i...