U.S. Foreign Policy
The strategic interests, diplomatic relationships, and institutional considerations shaping American engagement throughout the Middle East, with attention to the long-term consequences of policy decisions.
U.S. Council for Middle East Policy
Advancing Understanding.
Informing Policy.
An independent American policy institution examining the political, diplomatic, economic, and security questions shaping relations between the United States and the Middle East. USMEP advances informed public discussion grounded in strategic clarity, responsible engagement, and the importance of credible national institutions.
Discover the Council →Areas of focus
Understanding a changing region
Regional Security
The interaction of state authority, regional competition, security arrangements, and political institutions that shapes stability and the conditions for lasting peace.
Economic Relations
How trade, investment, infrastructure, economic diversification, and institutional capacity influence strategic partnerships and regional development.
Diplomacy & Dialogue
Diplomatic engagement and responsible public discussion as instruments for managing competing interests and strengthening constructive relations between states.
Our mission
An independent forum for informed dialogue
The Council contributes to informed understanding of American foreign policy and the Middle East by examining strategic interests, diplomatic relationships, regional security, economic interdependence, and the institutional conditions necessary for durable stability. Its approach distinguishes immediate developments from the historical and geopolitical forces shaping political choices, while encouraging substantive debate and constructive international engagement.
Perspectives
Policy conversations that matter
U.S.–Middle East Relations
A broad examination of the national interests, sovereign institutions, established partnerships, and emerging developments defining U.S. engagement across the region.
Regional Stability
Understanding how legitimate state institutions, diplomacy, economic conditions, and security priorities influence the ability of societies to manage political differences.
Economic Partnerships
The ways commercial exchange, investment, development, and technological change shape the long-term economic and strategic relationships of the region.
An American Perspective on Middle East Policy
The U.S. Council for Middle East Policy (USMEP) is an independent American policy institution dedicated to advancing informed perspectives on the political, diplomatic, economic, and security developments shaping relations between the United States and the Middle East.
The Council approaches regional affairs through the broader framework of American foreign policy interests, international relations, and long-term regional stability. The Middle East occupies a consequential position in the international political system, influencing global security, commercial relationships, international diplomacy, and the strategic priorities of major powers.
For the United States, understanding these interconnected issues requires an approach that reaches beyond individual events and considers the historical, institutional, and geopolitical forces influencing regional decisions. The relationship between Washington and the Middle East encompasses longstanding diplomatic ties, economic partnerships, security questions, cultural connections, and the aspirations of societies undergoing substantial political and economic change.
USMEP places particular importance on distinguishing immediate political developments from the underlying strategic conditions that shape them. Public decisions deserve examination not only for their immediate consequences but also for their implications for institutional stability, diplomatic credibility, national sovereignty, and the regional balance of power.
Effective American policy requires an understanding of the perspectives and political realities of regional actors. The Council therefore considers the interaction between American priorities and the domestic circumstances shaping governments, political movements, and societies throughout the Middle East.
The Council seeks to contribute to an environment in which complex developments are examined seriously, competing perspectives are assessed with intellectual discipline, and public discussion remains connected to practical diplomatic and institutional realities.
Our Mission
The mission of the U.S. Council for Middle East Policy is to contribute to a deeper understanding of American foreign policy toward the Middle East through substantive analysis, responsible public discourse, and examination of the choices shaping the region.
Effective foreign policy begins with a clear identification of national interests, an understanding of regional realities, and an ability to distinguish immediate political pressures from enduring strategic priorities. American engagement occurs within a complex environment of established alliances, regional rivalries, institutional challenges, economic interdependence, and changing geopolitical conditions.
The Council believes that informed discussion strengthens the environment in which consequential policy decisions are evaluated. Serious analysis should illuminate strategic choices, identify the interests involved, and clarify the implications of different courses of action. It should make room for disagreement without reducing complex questions to ideological labels.
Central to this mission is an appreciation of political legitimacy, institutional accountability, and national sovereignty. Durable stability depends on credible governance, responsible political participation, and states capable of fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities. The Council also views diplomacy as an indispensable instrument of statecraft, alongside the security and economic considerations that shape regional relations.
USMEP seeks to encourage a more sophisticated understanding of how American policy objectives interact with the political realities of the Middle East, while maintaining a disciplined distinction between established facts, analysis, and advocacy.