Middle East: U.S. Policy, Foreign Assistance and Key Issues

The Middle East in 2021 faces continued political instability, civil wars, terrorist threats, economic crises, the proliferation of unconventional weapons, external military intervention, and the ongoing spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It remains to be seen whether the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (IS) organization and the recent diplomatic normalization agreements brokered by the Trump Administration between Israel and several Arab states augur improved regional stability. U.S. stated policy goals have remained broadly consistent across Administrations: deter interstate conflict, counter terrorism, ensure the global flow of energy resources, and preserve U.S. influence in the face of rival power competition.