The Mirage of a New Middle East
Foreign Affairs • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump's decision to go to war with Iran has escalated into a regional conflict with global repercussions, including disruptions to oil markets, financial systems, and international commerce, while increasing threats to American lives and interests.
- The Trump administration's optimistic assumptions that weakening Iran's regime would lead to internal collapse or a pro-American government are unlikely to materialize; instead, the war may create a power vacuum, regional instability, and strengthen hard-line factions.
- Iran's proxies and regional conflicts are driven by complex local dynamics beyond Tehran's control, meaning militancy and instability in the Middle East will likely persist regardless of Iran's fate.
- The war risks alienating U.S. allies in the Gulf and the broader Arab world, potentially increasing anti-American
