Is US power and influence are at low ebb in the Middle East? Is the balance of power in the Gulf and the wider region moving against Washington and its allies there? It sure looks as if Americans can do little to dislodge or weaken Hizballah in Lebanon just as they cannot weaken the Sadrists in Iraq or Hamas in Gaza. Asking these kinds of questions means asking another one:' Is Tehran is on a roll'? It seems like it.

US policy in the Middle East is structured around containment and it basically postulates that the way to deal with recalcitrant states in the Persian Gulf (i.e. states that are unsympathetic to U.S. interests and objectives) is to isolate them and “contain” them, relying on sanctions and superior military power. The implication is that emphasizing threats and sanctions is placed above even the most minimal engagement.