March 14, 2023
The United States needed military power in the Middle East to give security to the American people and stability to the entire region. But Trita Parsi believes there are other routes to Middle Eastern stability. He notes on the expansiveness of American interests in the region and under the American guise, military conflicts quadrupled in the region from 1998-2020. Because of this uptick in conflicts, the American people have lost faith in military presence, and most Democratic candidates in the 2020 election spoke of views of taking troops away from the Middle East. The interesting part of relieving U.S. military support is the rise of diplomacy across the reason as a better option. These nations understand that without a military hegemon, the U.S., to hide behind, they need to conversate and enforce diplomacy between themselves, mainly. Parsi ends his overview by explaining the need for change in U.S. choices, because if the global role of the U.S. in the Middle East turns into simply arms sale, it would be detrimental to the role of the whole nation globally. Following his lecture, Parsi answers questions on matters including a possible “divorce” of America to the region, Chinese oil flows, and relations between Middle Eastern nations on the similarities of government style.
