Washington’s attempt to strengthen Saudi Arabia and Turkey while maintaining unwavering support for Israel exposes a strategy built on contradictions rather than coherence. By empowering competing regional partners, the US risks fueling an arms race, deepening Iran’s insecurity, and becoming trapped in the very rivalries it seeks to manage.
Aleena Im
“International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.” (Hans Morgenthau)
The US-Saudi Nuclear Deal: A New Strategic Bargain
Nuclear cooperation, weapons deliveries, and different security relations may increase the level of competition in the region. Iran will perceive the growing strength of the US-backed countries as a direct threat
On 22 July 2026, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on peaceful cooperation in nuclear activities, more popularly referred to as a ‘123 agreement’, together with the associated bilateral safeguard agreement. The 123 agreement facilitates extensive opportunities for American firms participating in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program and thus is beneficial for American industry and employment. The two agreements will promote U.S. and regional security through maintaining very high standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation as well as enhancing the competitiveness of the U.S. in civil nuclear technology.
The deal strengthens the US-Saudi relationship but simultaneously creates a new source of anxiety for both Iran and Israel. Saudi Arabia has already cautioned several times, stating that if Tehran can have a nuclear bomb, then why not the KSA? The signing of this deal at this time does not seem very positive.
Is Washington preparing a regional peer competitor to Iran? This remains a big question. Israel is also against any such move, as, in its perspective, it could alter the regional security balance and initiate a nuclear arms race. If Saudis could have the nuclear technology, so could the Houthis. The list might keep expanding.
The US-Turkey Fighter Jet Deal: Washington’s Second Strategic Bet
Beyond Saudi Arabia, the US, under Trump 2.0, is also fostering its ties with Turkey, a prominent member of NATO. For a long time, European members of the alliance and the US have sidelined Turkey from major defence sales due to its close relations with Russia. Under President Biden, the US halted the sale of F-35s to Turkey, as it had hosted Russian S-400s on Turkish soil. However, under President Trump, the US is now willing to lift the sanctions from Turkey.
The recent NATO summit in Ankara was centered around this deal where President Trump showed positive signals to Turkey. In response, as per official reports, Turkey is planning to shift Russian S-400s to the UAE. Israeli PM Netanyahu has explicitly denounced any such action by the US. Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the sale of F-35s to Türkiye would “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority, and also, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.”
Unwavering Support for Israel: The Constant in Washington’s Policy
Actions speak louder than words. Washington’s collaboration with Arab countries might increase in scope, but its unwavering loyalty to Israel will influence how such collaborations are viewed throughout the region. Even though the US concluded a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia and lifted the F-35s’ blockade from Turkey, the US is still supporting Israel in the region.
US House of Representatives Republicans have managed to pass an enormous budget of military spending worth $1.15 trillion despite worries by Democratic legislators over the amount and advanced military cooperation with Israel. The bill has a clause for military coordination between the two nations, and it is going to be presented before the Senate. Mr. Taut Bataut, in his analysis titled ‘Behind the Headlines: Is Trump Netanyahu’s Real Enemy?’ argued, “The US-Israel growing institutional integration and resiliency clarify the fact that the presence of disagreements does not mean the absence of partnership.”
Strategy or Confusion?
Is America operating based on some grand strategy or just responding to events in the region? In reality, the US is trying to appease all the partners without addressing the contradictions between them. This occurs whenever a powerful country forfeits its previous position in a specific region and wants to placate all partners in order not to let either of them join the rivals’ camp. There seem to be several goals pursued by the US at once — restraining Iran, checking the increasing influence of China, bolstering Saudi Arabia, holding Turkey in the Western strategic camp, and safeguarding the security of Israel. However, these goals have made American policy more and more contradictory and confusing.
The Region at Risk
The United States is playing with fire. In fact, the period when the United States was the sole guarantor of regional security has already passed. Now, the regional countries are trying to diversify their relationships. In fact, the United States will not find a way out of all this chaos in the region as smoothly as it is currently hoping. Hence, to keep its integrity, the United States now tries to use everything it has. The problem is not just in the diplomatic misunderstanding; it is in the strategic instability.
Nuclear cooperation, weapons deliveries, and different security relations may increase the level of competition in the region. Iran will perceive the growing strength of the US-backed countries as a direct threat. Other powers of the region may also increase their capacities for defence and technology. The outcome of such a situation will be the militarisation of the whole region.
Conclusion
The core issue revolves around whether the United States has a consistent Middle Eastern policy or is simply juggling various crises as and when they appear. While the United States might believe that it is balancing the Middle East by supporting multiple conflicting allies and continuing its full backing of Israel, it might discover that it is not above the conflicts but caught right in the eye of the storm.
Aleena Im is an independent researcher and writer and is interested in international relations and current affairs
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