US AND MIDDLE EAST

US and Middle East

US and Middle East

The centrality of the Middle East in U.S. foreign policy dates from the post-World War II era, with the necessity of defending the sovereignty of Israel as well as guaranteeing a steady supply of oil from the region (Gerner, 2006). The impact of U. S. policy in the Middle East was most keenly felt in the late 1970s by the 444-day siege at the American embassy in Tehran, Iran—an incident known as the Iranian hostage crisis. U.S. support for the despotic regime of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran led to crisis ...