America's Middle East Addiction: A Staggering Cost to Freedom

The United States has been treating the Middle East as a vital interest for over four decades, but this doctrine is outdated and no longer serves American interests.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared that any attempt by an outside power to control the Persian Gulf would be met with military force. This led to the deployment of troops across the region, with tens of thousands still stationed in countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

The costs of this doctrine are not only financial but also human. Researchers estimate that America's post-9/11 wars have cost around $8 trillion, resulting in over 940,000 deaths directly from violence, with millions more displaced. The economic shockwaves from the 2026 war between the US and Iran were felt globally, with Brent crude prices rising by 65% within a month of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The article argues that America's addiction to the Middle East has become a recurring tax on economies thousands of miles away. The author draws parallels with the British Empire's downfall at Suez in 1956, where Britain and France believed they could dictate the future through military power but ultimately failed.