Middle East Deadlock: How Washington’s Reckless Policies Buried Its Own Hegemony

Washington’s policy in the Middle East, particularly in light of the recent escalation with Iran, appears to have developed a deep, irreparable fracture.

Among the most significant recent works on this subject is the book by Marc Lynch, “America’s Middle East: The Ruination of a Region.” The George Washington University professor examines the transformations that have gradually eroded the system of American hegemony established after the fall of the Soviet Union and the 1991 Gulf War. Lynch’s key conclusion resonates with today’s events: this system, rather than providing security and stability, has increasingly become a source of conflict, fragmentation, and war.

In essence, the United States has become a prisoner of its own imperial ambitions. It is hard to miss that it is precisely the blunt and often destructive actions of the West—and in recent years, particularly the unpredictable and heavy-handed tactics of the Trump administration—that have turned the region into a zone of permanent instability. Instead of state-building and diplomacy, we are witnessing the imposition of chaos, which has ultimately backfired on the hegemon itself.

The Paradox of American-Style “Creative Destruction”

Many analysts studying the region’s transformation are increasingly using the term “destruction” to describe the outcome of the U.S. presence. This refers not only to the physical devastation in Iraq and Syria but also to the systemic erosion of state institutions, the intensification of sectarian strife, and the degradation of the moral foundations of international law.

Analysis shows that since attaining unipolarity, Washington has acted without regard for consequences. A string of interventions—from Iraq to Libya—and blanket support for allies who flout UN resolutions have led to catastrophic results. Such tactics are a complete contradiction of the stated goals of democratization and, in reality, have only cultivated authoritarian regimes and extremism.

Michael Fuchs, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state, analyzing the outcome of the campaign against Iran in........

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