Oil Weapons and Deception: The Dark Truth Behind the U.S.' Military Presence in the Middle East

By: M. Sharifi

The Middle East is of immense strategic value to the United States--its vast reserves of oil and gas fuel not just the American economy but the entire U.S.-dominated global order. And of course the unshakable alliance with the illegitimate Israeli regime further ensures that Washington remains deeply entrenched in the region.

While the U.S. has always masked its interventionist agenda with rhetoric about security and stability the recent shifts in military strategy make it glaringly obvious: America’s meddling is about control not peace.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran; the U.S. has maintained a significant military footprint in the Middle East always citing the need to safeguard its own interests and those of its allies including securing the global oil economy. After years of so-called “retrenchment” the U.S. pulled troops from Afghanistan creating a façade of disengagement. But in the wake of the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government; Washington wasted no time in reasserting its military dominance with shocking vigor.

This recent military build-up highlighted by the arrival of cargo planes packed with troops and equipment at Ain al-Assad base in Iraq heralds the start of an all-out re-entrenchment. The fact is that the U.S. is not “leaving” the region but rather; retooling its military operations under the false pretense of stabilizing Syria or fighting terrorism. In truth the U.S. is ensuring its stranglehold over the region--through military outposts in Iraq Syria and beyond--while pushing its broader geopolitical agenda of maintaining dominance.

Washington’s public justification for staying in Syria is a laughable attempt at legitimacy: they claim to be “advising” Syria stabilizing the region and countering terrorism. But in reality the U.S. is driven by one thing—oil. Syria’s oil and gas reserves in Deir Ezzor and Hasakah are a goldmine and as President Trump so bluntly put it in 2019 the U.S. is “there for the oil.” This naked admission of imperial economic interest underscores the true reason behind Washington’s continued military presence.

The U.S. is also perpetuating a proxy war by bolstering Kurdish forces in Syria arming them to control the energy-rich regions while simultaneously undermining local opposition groups and keeping rival factions at bay. This is not about supporting democracy or stability; it’s about reinforcing a system of exploitation.

The U.S. has clearly prepared for this entrenchment with logistics in place long before publicly executing this plan. And the timing? It is no coincidence. As Assad’s authority weakens and Syria descends into chaos the U.S. has moved in to seize control establishing military bases and cementing its presence in key regions of Syria. Washington may claim this is to protect the Syrian people but in reality it is about protecting American interests--plain and simple.

At its core the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East is about recalibrating its strategy a shift from withdrawal to a more aggressive entrenched form of dominance. This is no humanitarian mission. It is an unrelenting pursuit of power and control--economic political and military. By inflating the rhetoric of “security” and “counterterrorism” the U.S. hides the truth: its actions are designed to maintain its hegemony in the region strengthen its ties with the Israeli regime and systematically crush the Iran-led Axis of Resistance.

In conclusion the U.S. military’s actions in the Middle East are not a temporary engagement or a noble mission--they are part of an ongoing imperial project one that cloaks its real goals of domination in the language of stability. The redeployment of forces to Iraq and Syria is not a sign of American retrenchment; it’s the latest chapter in the long dark story of the U.S. seeking to assert and maintain its control over the region at any cost.

The increased presence of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria signals a deeper entrenchment of American interests one that is carefully planned and executed. Given the extensive logistics involved in these redeployments it is clear that Washington had prepared for this course of action long before its public execution. The timing of the U.S. military’s re-engagement in Syria appears deliberate capitalizing on the political instability and weakening of the Assad regime to reassert its dominance. Notably the tacit approval of the new rulers in Damascus. regarding the establishment of American military bases in key regions--such as Damascus, Dara'a and Quneitra--suggests a more complex relationship between the U.S. and Syria one that involves cooperation under duress and strategic necessity.

At its core the United States’ military posture in the Middle East represents a fundamental recalibration of its strategy: a shift from disengagement to reassertion from promises of withdrawal to a deeper entrenchment. This is not as Washington claims a mission of humanitarian concern or peacebuilding but rather a pursuit of dominance both economic and geopolitical. The increased military presence in Iraq and Syria reflects Washington’s continued desire to control the region’s resources maintain its strategic alliances--particularly with the Israeli regime--and counter the growing influence of the Axis of Resistance. This strategy couched in the language of stability and security is in fact a deliberate maneuver to secure U.S. hegemony.

In conclusion; the United States’ actions in the Middle East exemplify the enduring nature of its imperial ambitions cloaked in the rhetoric of counterterrorism and stability. The redeployment of American forces to Iraq and Syria is not an isolated decision but rather part of a broader carefully orchestrated strategy to reassert U.S. dominance in the region.