August 27, 2026
The Impossible Middle East
This article was originally published in Foreign Affairs.
The Middle East is no stranger to conflict. But even by its standards, the last six months have been extraordinarily chaotic. Ever since the United States and Israel went to war against Iran on February 28, countries in the region have faced cycles of drone and missile strikes against their military bases, energy infrastructure, and water desalination plants. Their airports and oil refineries have repeatedly needed to pause operations. And their regular ports have at times sat idle, thanks to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Middle East today has some thinking to do. It will need to draw up new ways to preserve its wealth, to pursue greater self-sufficiency, and to diversify—and even own—its security.
Despite months of negotiations, Tehran and Washington seem poised to keep fighting on and off in an effort to wear down the other’s materiel and willpower. In fact, the war has expanded. More members of Iran’s regional proxy network, including the Yemen-based Houthis and Iranian-aligned Iraqi militias, joined the fray, and a port in Egypt was hit by drones. (No country has claimed responsibility for that attack, but the United States blamed Iran.)
Read the full article in Foreign Affairs.
More from CNAS
-
Saudi Arabia Halts Energy Sites as Houthis Claim New Attacks
Video
Becca Wasser, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins Bloomberg to discuss the latest on the Iran War, control over the Strait of Hormuz, and th...
By Becca Wasser
-
Where Do We Go from Here?
Commentary
Introduction Over the past nine months, The New American Defense Industrial Base essay series has brought together a wide range of participants to deliver a variety of views o...
By Susanna V. Blume
-
Manufacturing a New National Security
Commentary
Introduction The United States sits atop the world’s pedestal of military superpowers—particularly when it comes to developing and employing the most sophisticated technology—...
By James Swartout & Nick Doucette
-
The Risks of Downplaying China’s Military
Commentary
Deterrence can succeed, and continued U.S., Taiwanese, and allied investment can matter a great deal — if undertaken with the urgency the situation demands....
By Tom Shugart
