American Strategy in the Middle East: Constants and Variables

The Middle East region has a great importance in the calculations of many countries in the world, and the United States of America is at the forefront, as this region is one of the regions where the vital American interests are concentrated that could not be dispensed with. In fact, the United States of America is fully prepared to use its military force in the event that any of its interests in the Middle East are threatened. Especially with regard to Iraq, given the strategic importance of Iraq in the American strategic perception, with its important and influential geographical location and natural resources, we find that the United States of America has directed its strategic planning towards Iraq since the beginning of the implementation of its global strategic plans after World War II, but that orientation was limited to the economic aspect, especially oil. However, since the seventies of the last century, Iraq has become a clear threat to American strategic interests, which prompted its strategic decision-making circles to plan for the purpose of containing Iraq, as it considered it a serious threat to its vital interests in the region and to the security of (Israel), in addition to the issue of oil, which we will shed light on in this study.