Tarz Press: The Middle East has always been one of the world’s most complex and volatile regions, at the center of international politics. Throughout its modern history, it has been the site of numerous conflicts, often involving both global and regional powers.
However, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the region achieved a semblance of relative stability, which many analysts attributed to the U.S.’s strict policies against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies. With the arrival of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the White House, this fragile balance quickly crumbled, and the Middle East was once again set ablaze.
Victor Davis Hanson, a well-known writer and political analyst, in an article for the New York Post, examines the causes of this collapse and analyzes the role of the Biden-Harris administration in creating widespread tensions in the Middle East. He argues that the administration’s misguided policies, particularly regarding Iran and its allies, turned a region that had become relatively calm into a multi-front battlefield.
Past Calm and the Crisis Under Biden
Hanson begins his article by referencing a period when the Middle East was relatively calm, attributing much of this stability to the Trump administration’s hardline policies toward Iran. He cites Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Advisor, who stated on September 29, 2023, that “the Middle East today is calmer than it has been in two decades.” But only eight days after this claim, Hamas attacked Israel, plunging the Middle East back into chaos and violent conflicts.
Hanson poses the question of what caused this sudden shift from calm to chaos and goes on to analyze five key aspects of Biden and Harris’ policies that, in his view, led to Middle East instability and emboldened Iran.
Biden’s Hostile Policy Towards Saudi Arabia: Breaking a Strategic Alliance
The first strategic mistake of the Biden administration, according to Hanson, was its radical shift in U.S. policy toward Saudi Arabia. Under Trump, Saudi Arabia was one of the most important U.S. allies in the region, playing a key role in maintaining the balance of power. U.S. military and diplomatic support for Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war was a vital tool in curbing Iran’s influence and that of its Houthi proxies.
However, with Biden’s arrival at the White House, he directed U.S. policy towards harsh criticism of Saudi Arabia and reduced support for the kingdom. During his 2020 election campaign, Biden severely criticized Saudi Arabia’s role in the Yemen war and attacked the country for human rights violations. After becoming president, Biden not only drastically reduced military and political support for Saudi Arabia, but he also removed Iran-backed Houthis from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Hanson argues that this decision emboldened the Houthis and intensified the war in Yemen.
Hanson believes that this shift in policy dealt a severe blow to the regional alliances that the U.S. had built over the years to maintain the balance of power and contain Iran. Weakening Saudi Arabia and reducing support left the kingdom vulnerable to external threats and gave Iran and its proxies the opportunity to increase their influence in Yemen and other parts of the region.
The Abraham Accords: A Lost Opportunity
Another major mistake by the Biden administration, according to Hanson, was ignoring the Abraham Accords. These agreements, brokered by the Trump administration to reduce tensions and create alliances between Israel and moderate Arab countries, were one of the major diplomatic successes in the region. The accords encouraged countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to cooperate with Israel, creating a united front against the threats posed by Iran.
Hanson argues that Biden’s disregard for the Abraham Accords represented a missed historical opportunity to foster peace and stability in the Middle East. He believes that the accords could have been used as a tool to counter Iran’s threats and reduce regional tensions, but instead, the Biden administration neglected this achievement, weakening regional alliances as a result.
Reviving the Nuclear Deal and Reducing Sanctions: Emboldening Enemies
One of the main points of Hanson’s criticism of the Biden administration is its efforts to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. The nuclear deal, which was signed under the Obama administration, was canceled during Trump’s presidency, and the U.S. adopted a strict stance towards Iran. However, under Biden, efforts to restore the nuclear deal began.
Hanson argues that these efforts not only emboldened the Islamic Republic of Iran but also allowed the country to expand its nuclear program and move closer to developing nuclear weapons without any barriers. This approach sent a message to Iran that the U.S. was no longer willing to apply maximum pressure and was ready to offer concessions through diplomacy and negotiations. Lifting some of the key oil sanctions on Iran also proved to be one of Biden’s biggest mistakes.
According to Hanson, this move allowed Iran to re-enter global oil markets and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue, which the Islamic Republic directly used to finance its proxy groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. These groups, with their newfound financial resources, escalated their terrorist activities in the Middle East, dramatically increasing threats against Israel, U.S. forces, and other regional countries.
Hanson also references a deal in which the Biden administration paid $6 billion to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages. He harshly criticizes this action, describing it as a form of ransom that not only failed to reduce tensions but also encouraged Iran to continue its hostile behavior.
Resumption of Financial Aid to the Palestinians: A Misstep Without Security Guarantees
Another policy that Hanson believes fueled tensions was Biden’s resumption of financial aid to the Palestinians. After a period in which U.S. aid to Palestine had been cut, the Biden administration restored this aid without obtaining any security guarantees from the Palestinians. Hanson argues that this move, while extremist Palestinian groups continued their hostile actions against Israel, was an implicit endorsement of such activities.
According to Hanson, this unconditional financial aid to the rulers of Gaza did nothing to ease tensions but instead gave them more motivation to attack Israel. This policy ultimately led to Hamas’ massive attack on Israel in October 2023, which caused thousands of casualties and once again set the Middle East ablaze.
Pressure on Israel for Restraint: Weakening Deterrence
The final key factor Hanson highlights is the Biden administration’s pressure on Israel to exercise “restraint” in response to attacks by Iran’s proxies, particularly Hamas and Hezbollah. Biden and his administration repeatedly called on Israel to adopt a more moderate approach and refrain from broad military responses.
Hanson argues that this mistaken approach not only weakened Israel’s ability to confront terrorist threats but also sent a message to the Islamic Republic and its proxies that a rift had formed between the U.S. and Israel. This message, in practice, emboldened Iran to continue its hostile policies in the region and severely diminished U.S. and Israeli deterrence.
A Return to Obama’s “Creative Tension”: A Failed Strategy
In the conclusion of his article, Hanson asserts that Biden and Harris’ policies represent a return to the failed strategy of “creative tension” that was pursued during the Obama era. This policy, which sought a balance of power between Iran and its allies on one side and Arab countries and Israel on the other, ultimately led to Iran’s increased strength and the weakening of U.S. allies in the region.
Hanson argues that these policies have not only failed to stabilize the Middle East but have instead plunged the region into endless chaos. The Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxy groups are now more powerful than ever, while moderate Arab countries and Israel face unprecedented threats. Meanwhile, the U.S.’s reduced support for its allies and attempts to revive failed past agreements have allowed other regional and global powers, including Russia and China, to play a larger role in Middle Eastern affairs, shifting the balance of power in favor of America’s adversaries.
Hanson also points to the domestic consequences of these policies, noting the rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S. and on college campuses as a result of the Biden administration’s stance. He argues that support for anti-American and anti-Israeli groups in educational institutions, coupled with the weakening of support for key U.S. allies in the Middle East, reflects a dangerous and ineffective approach that will have dire consequences not only for the Middle East but for global security as well.
Conclusion: Biden and Harris’ Legacy of Crisis in the Middle East
In sum, Hanson argues that Biden and Harris, through a series of strategic mistakes, have led the Middle East into one of the most turbulent periods in its modern history. Their policies have not only strengthened America’s enemies and weakened its allies but have also undermined U.S. and Israeli deterrence, fueling regional conflicts. According to Hanson, the Biden-Harris legacy in the Middle East is one of chaos, war, and collapse.
