A US Pivot Away from the Middle East: Fact or Fiction? is a collection of essays tackling different aspects of a potential American pivot away from the Middle East and toward addressing, among other aspects, the challenge that China presents for US foreign policy.

Over the last decade, there have been ongoing debates about US disengagement from the Middle East. At the same time, Russia and China have stepped up their roles and investments in the Arab world and have sought greater influence in the region. In response to this, ACW organized a half-day conference on May 18, 2023, to discuss the notion of US disengagement and a pivot away from the Middle East, the realities and dimensions of this perceived retreat, and the question of whether a new multipolar international political order is emerging in light of these shifts.

The general conclusion from the conference speakers (and this subsequent volume’s contributing authors) is that the United States is not fully disengaging from the Middle East but rather recalibrating its priorities and positions in the region while simultaneously devoting resources, time, and effort to maintaining as much influence in the Indo-Pacific region as possible to preserve its interests there.