The failed Middle East US policy has largely led to the destabilization of the region, says German expert Jörg Lau.
Recent events in the Middle East have once again generated rumors that another war is threatening the region, expert Jörg Lau writes in an article for Deutschlandfunk. The increase in tension is really scary: two Saudi oil plants were attacked. The United States accuses Iran of attacks, while Tehran, in turn, denies any guilt.
Donald Trump poses himself as a person who is ready for anything, but in reality he is afraid of an open confrontation, Lau notes. Trump wants to end the conflicts in the Middle East, the cause of which, he said, is the stupidity of his predecessors. According to Lau, the question is whether the president will be able to withstand the pressure of many leaders from the Washington elite.
According to Lau, recent events show that a “post-American” Middle East is being formed. Through its policies, Washington demonstrates that it is not ready to get involved in a war for the sake of its allies, such as Saudi Arabia or Israel. An important role is played by the fact that the United States has ceased to depend on Middle Eastern oil. Iran, in turn, showed its ability to resist American pressure, even despite the enormous difference in the military budgets of the two countries.
US Middle Eastern allies understand that Washington is no longer a determining force in the region. Lau writes that changing the American role is a positive thing, since it was Washington’s policy that made a great contribution to destabilizing the Middle East. The basis of this policy was the unconditional support of Saudi Arabia in a dispute with Iran. Attempts to isolate Iran lasted for 40 years, but they did not lead to anything: now the Islamic republic is stronger than ever.
There is only one way to end the endless war in the Middle East, says Lau: the failed US policy needs to be fixed.