A Trilateral Chess Match in the Middle East
In the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, great power competition has returned to the Middle East. Russia in particular has sought to exploit U.S. policy blunders and retrenchment (real or perceived) in order to push for greater regional multipolarity. While it is easy to understand why regional states outside of the "U.S. camp," such as Iran or Syria, would turn to Moscow as a way to hedge...