US Involvement in the Middle East and the Severe Negative Impacts

One of the most debated issues of the last two decades is US involvement in the Middle East. US intervention in the Middle East dates back to the 19th century but was intensified after the 9/11 attacks, which started a long and ongoing presence in the area. Whether it's Afghanistan, the Iran-Iraq war, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Gulf war, or any other campaigns in the Middle East, the US has been extensively involved, yielding outcomes that seem like progress in some eyes. 

However, when taking a closer look, involvement in the Middle East, as well as the surrounding countries, has severely altered the course of the lives of many people. This involvement in the Middle East has negatively impacted countries to a large extent because of the detrimental economic impacts, increased violence, and the immense loss of life.  

The Campaign on Iraq

One area in which we see involvement as having a negative impact is the war on Iraq. Cordesman, who is a former American national security analyst, reflects on a huge mistake in Iraq, leaving it defenseless, “The United States ignored their advice during the invasion in 2003 – making Iran the dominant military power in the northern Gulf while also turning Iraq into a constant source of unstable weaknesses and concern”(Cordesman, CSIS). 

This mistake in 2003 made Iraq weak and unstable, affecting other countries as well. This is seen with the shifting of power in the area, which leaves some countries unchecked. To this day, Iraq remains in a volatile state in terms of security and economy, while Iran has become more daring, especially with the recent missile strikes on Israel. 

Impact on South Asian Countries

A huge example of surrounding countries being affected by US involvement is Asia, specifically the South Asian region where Pakistan resides. This is specifically tailored to the effects of US involvement in Afghanistan. 


Sumeera Imran, who has a PhD in the School of Politics and International Relations, talks about these negative impacts on South Asia. She highlights US military activity along the Pakistani border, “militancy across the western side in Afghanistan would have perilous implications for Pakistan’s security calculus”(Imran, JSTOR). 

She also talks about the US overstepping its bounds many times with strikes, causing division in the country, “US drone strikes have already increased the resentment in the tribal areas of Pakistan, exposing a precarious rift in state-society relations” (Imran, JSTOR). 

In terms of both India and Pakistan, the US has not helped in the already high-tension atmosphere between the two countries. With Imran describing US favor to India, inciting China to implement relations with Pakistan, “The US tilt towards India, in the wake of Washington’s erstwhile policy of South Asia’s balancing parity, has pushed Beijing to elbow Pakistan’s frontline role in Afghanistan”(Imran, JSTOR). 

This involvement in Afghanistan has negatively impacted the situation in Pakistan, making it a more volatile situation. The growing divide in the country, along with increased Indian-Pakistani tensions through bilateralism between the US and India as well as Pakistan and China, has only created more disdain among the people. 

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

A recent issue of US involvement that has only grown to be more and more dangerous is the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This conflict has been going on for a better part of a century, but through US involvement in recent times, it has only gotten worse. 

Jon Hoffman, a foreign policy analyst at the CATO Institute, talks about this issue, highlighting the high probability that the US will be involved in another war. “The United States deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups, with roughly 7,500 personnel on each, two guided-missile destroyers, and nine air squadrons to the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea region”(Hoffman, CATO). 

This increase in military presence in the area, as well as large amounts of funding to Israel, is only increasing tensions and causing mass-scale loss of life. Hoffman emphasizes the catastrophe that could emerge, “It should be clear from the past several decades that throwing money, weapons and military assets at the region often has profound negative consequences”(Hoffman, CATO). 

US funneling of funding and weapons to Israel has not only led to the immense loss of life in the region but has severely impacted the economies as well, leaving both countries in economic turmoil. With energy prices going up and tourism rates as well as international flow rates going down. 

Bluedorn, a Deputy Division Chief in the Regional Analytics for the IMF, and Koranchelian, the Deputy Director in the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the IMF, both discuss these economic impacts with solid reported statistics. With gas prices “about 25 percent above pre-conflict levels”(Bluedorn, Koranchelian, IMF). 

They also state the possibility of long-term issues as the region produces a large amount of the world's oil, “In a region that produces 35 percent of the world’s oil exports and 14 percent of gas exports, the impact of a potential production disruption looms large”(Bluedorn, Koranchelian, IMF). 

US involvement, as seen with the supplying of arms and funding to Israel, is inciting war, causing the economies of both countries to destabilize. Although Israel, the country the US is funding, is taking hits in the economy, Palestine has it way worse. The funding, the increased military presence, and the public endorsement of the state of Israel have brought only death and suffering for the people of Palestine. 

The Use of “Financial Warfare”

Another form of  US involvement is the direct attack on finances, with experts calling it “Financial Warfare”. We see this with the use of sanctions, which block out countries from certain economies. These sanctions can severely wreck a country's economic infrastructure. 

Safieddine, a Canadian research chair on the history of the modern Middle East, explains this financial warfare in the context of Iran's oil exports, “Iran’s oil exports reportedly dropped by more than 50 percent” (Safieddine, MRP). 

This was a direct result of US interference in economies in the region, which shifted the market away from US competitors, destabilizing economies. This destabilization of economies is a form of collective punishment as innocent civilians begin to struggle to survive and make a living.

The Possible Implications of Withdrawal 

Although US involvement is largely negative and has catastrophic implications, there may also be implications of withdrawal as well. This is seen through the idea that if the US withdrawals, it may result in a “power vacuum.” 

This idea of a “power vacuum” is suggested by Daniel Byman, a senior fellow with the CSIS and a professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Byman highlights the power struggle in the regions where the US is involved if the US were to withdraw. 

“A U.S. withdrawal from the region could create a power vacuum that China, Russia, or others might exploit”(Byman, Foreign Affairs). This idea argues that the countries that are involved with the US at the moment would be worse off without America, as other countries would be harsher. 

Many American analysts agree with this idea, and this is probably what is motivating US involvement in the region the most, as the benefits have been scarce. Although this idea has substance, it is an idea which is speculative at best. 

US involvement has negative implications 

Among these several cases of US involvement, it has largely harmed the region, with increased violence and severe impacts on the economy being a point of concern. Even though some might argue that persistence in the region is necessary, it doesn’t justify the damage it causes as a result. 

Things like a “power vacuum” are a possible outcome that has kept the US interested in the Middle East. Yet it is not plausible to completely negatively alter the region due to a “possible outcome.” The future of these countries and the people they harbor should not be subjected to cruelty for power. 

We see this through the loss of life in places like Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq. As well as the tragic states of economies that may take decades before fully recovering. Overall, the US presence has largely had a negative impact on the Middle East, with the loss of life, the destabilization of economies, and the impact on surrounding countries being the points of attention. 

References: 

Imran, Sumeera. “Sino-US Involvement in Afghanistan: Implications for South Asian Stability and Security.” Strategic Studies, vol. 39, no. 3, 2019, pp. 53–72. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48544310. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Bluedorn, John, and Taline Koranchelian. “Middle East Conflict Risks Reshaping the Region’s Economies.” IMF, 1 Dec. 2023, www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2023/12/01/middle-east-conflict-risks-reshaping-the-regionseconomies. Accessed 06 Nov. 2024.

Cordesman, Anthony H. “America’s Failed Strategy in the Middle East: Losing Iraq and the Gulf.” CSIS, 2 Jan. 2020, www.csis.org/analysis/americas-failed-strategy-middle-east-losing-iraq-and-gulf. Accessed 06 Nov. 2024.

Safieddine, Hicham. “Consequences of US Financial Warfare in the Middle East.” MERIP, 15 June 2020, merip.org/2020/06/consequences-of-us-financial-warfare-in-the-middle-east/. Accessed 07 Nov. 2024.

Hoffman, Jon. “US Is Barreling toward Another War in the Middle East.” Cato.Org, CATO Institute, 6 Nov. 2023, www.cato.org/commentary/us-barreling-toward-another-war-middle-east. Accessed 07 Nov. 2024.

Byman, Daniel. “Why the Middle East Still Needs America.” Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2024, www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/why-middle-east-still-needs-america?check_logged_in =1&utm_medium=promo_email&utm_source=lo_flows&utm_campaign=article_link&utm_t erm=article_email&utm_content=20241107. Accessed 07 Nov. 2024.