Home / Policy Topics / Middle East Middle East Middle East Reducing U.S. exposure to the region’s politics and violence U.S. interests in the Middle East are limited and diminishing, and our political and military engagement in the region should be commensurate with its strategic importance. MIDDLE EAST EXPERTS Rosemary Kelanic Director, Middle East Program Defense Priorities Gil Barndollar Non-Resident Fellow Defense Priorities Daniel Davis Senior Fellow & Military Expert Defense Priorities Daniel DePetris Fellow Defense Priorities Benjamin Friedman Policy Director Defense Priorities Jennifer Kavanagh Senior Fellow & Director of Military Analysis Defense Priorities Rajan Menon Non-Resident Senior Fellow Defense Priorities William Ruger Non-Resident Senior Fellow Defense Priorities Mike Sweeney Non-Resident Fellow Defense Priorities William Walldorf Senior Fellow Defense Priorities op-edIsrael‑Hamas, Israel, Middle East Trump’s Gaza relocation comment is liable to kill his own diplomatic agenda By Daniel DePetris February 4, 2025 As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday and King Abdullah II of Jordan […] op-edMiddle East, Iran, Israel, Israel‑Hamas Trump’s Gaza plan will undermine Israel-Saudi ties By Christopher McCallion February 4, 2025 op-edSyria, Grand strategy, Middle East Trump’s Syria sequel should end better than last time By Rosemary Kelanic February 2, 2025 The Latest Types Types Briefs Explainers In the media Op-eds Policy papers Polls Press releases Reports Clear Filter op-edIsrael‑Hamas, Israel, Middle East Trump’s Gaza relocation comment is liable to kill his own diplomatic agenda By Daniel DePetris February 4, 2025 op-edMiddle East, Iran, Israel, Israel‑Hamas Trump’s Gaza plan will undermine Israel-Saudi ties By Christopher McCallion February 4, 2025 op-edSyria, Grand strategy, Middle East Trump’s Syria sequel should end better than last time By Rosemary Kelanic February 2, 2025 op-edIran, Israel, Israel‑Hamas, Middle East Iran’s weakness is a golden opportunity for the US — to step back By Rosemary Kelanic February 2, 2025 op-edGrand strategy, Iraq, Israel‑Hamas, Middle East, Syria Trump foreign policy 2.0: Unpredictable president confronts unstable world By Daniel DePetris January 31, 2025 op-edMiddle East, Grand strategy How Donald Trump should deal with Saudi Arabia By Daniel DePetris January 30, 2025 View More DEFP in the Media Connect with Experts Featured in Real Clear World: Trump should remove U.S. troops from Syria Featuring Daniel DePetris January 20, 2025 Israel security cabinet approves deal for ceasefire Featuring Jennifer Kavanagh January 17, 2025 Featured in The American Conservative: Leave Syria to the Syrians Featuring Rosemary Kelanic December 26, 2024 RSVP See All Events virtualMiddle East, Alliances, Diplomacy, Israel, Military analysis Past Virtual Event: Assessing a formal U.S.-Saudi alliance October 17, 2024 virtualHouthis, Iran, Israel‑Hamas, Middle East, Yemen Past Virtual Event: Houthi conundrum: defend, degrade, or defer March 28, 2024 virtualGrand strategy, Middle East Past Virtual Event: Does the Middle East still matter? February 6, 2024 View More