STEVEN COOK

Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations & Columnist, Foreign Policy

Steven Cook's insights and analysis are highly regarded when it comes to understanding U.S. policy in the Middle East. 

A year ago, the Biden administration was tantalizingly close to making what would have been an historic announcement - the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, since Hamas’ incursion into Israel on October 7th, the Middle East has been in turmoil with the threat of a regional war increasingly likely. Moreover, other headwinds are shaping U.S. relations in the Middle East. To name just a few: Turkey has applied to be a member in BRICS; Tunisia is holding a presidential election in early October, with most of the incumbent’s opponents are either in prison or under house arrest; and, reportedly the UAE has helped bust sanctions imposed on Russia.

In his recent book,The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East, Cook reflects upon years prior to 1979 when the U.S. enjoyed a series of diplomatic successes. He contrasts this with the last 40 years which have been marked by a series of strategic missteps, the forever wars, the Arab Spring’s aftermath and the overall shift from traditional U.S. goals in the region. Cook suggests that while disengagement is not a viable option, the U.S. can develop a strategy to focus on selective areas where its interests are most at stake. 

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