The US National Defense Strategy for the Middle East

As President Donald Trump has said, the United States seeks a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East. The newly released 2026 National Defense Strategy lays out how the U.S. will support its allies in the region in this undertaking.

The Department of War will empower regional allies and partners to take primary responsibility for deterring and defending against Iran and its proxies, including by strongly backing Israel’s efforts to defend itself; deepening cooperation with our Arabian Gulf partners; enabling integration between Israel and our Arabian Gulf partners, and expanding the Abraham Accords.

President Trump has consistently made clear that Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear weapons program was obliterated. U.S. forces also provided critical support to Israel’s defense throughout the 12-Day War, enabling Israel’s historic operational and strategic successes.

Iran’s regime is now weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades. Moreover, Israeli operations have left Hezbollah and Hamas severely degraded.

At President Trump’s direction, the United States also launched Operation Rough Rider, which degraded the Houthis’ strike capabilities and ultimately compelled the Houthis to sue for peace and stop shooting at U.S. ships, restoring freedom of navigation for U.S. vessels.

Even as Iran has suffered severe setbacks over recent months, it appears intent on reconstituting its conventional military forces. Iran’s leaders have also left open the possibility that they will try again to obtain a nuclear weapon. Moreover, although Iran’s proxies have been severely degraded, they may also seek to rebuild devastated infrastructure and capabilities. Nor can the U.S. ignore the fact that the Iranian regime has the blood of Americans on its hands and remains intent on destroying Israel. And Iran and its proxies continue to instigate regional crises that threaten the lives of American servicemembers in the region and prevent the region from pursuing peace.

Yet there remain significant opportunities before us, the National Defense Strategy notes. Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and the U.S. has an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East.

Likewise, in the Gulf, U.S. partners are increasingly willing and able to do more to defend themselves against Iran and its proxies, including by acquiring and fielding a variety of U.S. military systems. This creates even more opportunities for the United States to enable individual partners to do more for their defense.

At the same time, the Department of War will maintain its ability to take decisive action to defend U.S. interests. Through this approach, the U.S. will set and reinforce conditions for lasting peace through strength in the Middle East.