This study examines the evolving nature of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East under Donald Trump through the lens of neo-imperialism and strategic retreat, contextualized through events up to 2025. By employing a mixed-methods approach that combines AI-assisted primary data collection with secondary data analysis, the research interrogates the geopolitical shifts triggered by Trump’s transactional diplomacy, military repositioning, and economic coercion strategies. The findings reveal a complex hybrid of imperialist tendencies—manifested through economic dominance and unilateral policy assertions—alongside selective disengagement and regional burden-shifting. This duality challenges traditional frameworks of U.S. hegemony and suggests a recalibrated, post-unipolar form of global influence.
Lee Bih Ni (Wed,) studied this question.