ABSTRACT
United States (US) policy toward the Persian Gulf/MENA region, whether political, military or economic, was largely frozen in time for close to half a century. The 1991 Gulf War witnessed the largest overseas deployment of US troops to the region in history. The centrality of the Persian Gulf oilfields to global economic activity only increased over time, as did the wealth and influence of the states that bordered the body of water. Iranian political and military influence in the region has been on the ascendance for a number of years. The reappearance of the Russian military in the region led to immediate complications for US security policy and the potential for a return to great power competition in the near-term. The United States has extensive military ties with Israel, which are certain to continue for the foreseeable future. Iran is focused on improving its capabilities for asymmetric, conventional and strategic warfare.
