US strategy document names Iran 'chief' destabilizer, calls Syria 'potential problem'
The document frames US engagement as shifting away from energy and conflict and toward broader economic and defense partnerships.
The White House on Thursday night released its national security policy, which warns that Iran is the Middle East's "chief destabilizing force" and says that Syria remains a "potential problem."
The 33-page document reiterates President Donald Trump’s principles of “America First” and “peace through strength,” defining US interests in the region as around countering Iranian influence, maintaining strategic waterways and expanding economic and defense partnerships. It also urges Washington to avoid pressuring partner governments on internal political matters.
Security
According to the document, conflict “remains the Middle East’s most troublesome dynamic,” but the administration argues the overall picture is less dire, pointing to what it describes as weakened adversaries and recent diplomatic gains.
