The New Middle East: Israel’s Path to Regional Transformation
History is unfolding before our eyes. We are witnessing the emergence of a fundamentally transformed Middle East, with Israel ascending as the region’s dominant power. Still engaged in a multi-front battle for survival and now in direct conflict with Iran, Israel is pioneering a new era of regional dynamics. While global diplomatic strategies have traditionally relied on appeasement, negotiations, and agreements with threatening actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, Israel has chosen a different path—taking its enemies at their word, especially in the aftermath of October 7th.
When a terrorist organization or authoritarian regime declares its intention to wipe you off the map and actively pursues that goal, the lesson is clear: believe them. There can be no negotiation over existence itself. This is the doctrine of peace through strength—a principle that those who haven’t lived in the region, witnessed the terror, or spent nights in bomb shelters cannot fully comprehend.
The New Regional Reality
The people of Israel are not merely defending their homeland; they are defending the principles of the free world. This small nation—roughly the size of New Jersey with a population of just over 10 million—stands as a bulwark against the greatest threats to regional stability. These threats, by extension, pose challenges to European security and American hegemony in an era of rising destabilizing powers like China and Russia.
Israel’s remarkable military achievements following the October 7th invasion, and its comprehensive campaign against Iranian aggression through Tehran’s proxy network, have definitively established Israel as the region’s superpower. This transformation represents more than military victory; it signals a fundamental realignment of Middle Eastern power structures.
A Historic Turn: America’s Direct Action Against Iran’s Nuclear Program
The strategic landscape took a dramatic turn on June 21, 2025, when President Donald Trump announced that the United States had conducted strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In what Trump called a “very successful attack,” American forces directly targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with the heavily fortified underground Fordow facility reportedly destroyed.
This decisive action represents a fundamental shift in American policy toward Iran. For decades, the United States pursued diplomatic engagement, sanctions, and multilateral negotiations to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The direct military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites marks an unprecedented escalation and demonstrates America’s commitment to preventing Iranian nuclear capability at any cost.
The timing of this American intervention is particularly significant. Coming amid Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran and its proxies, the US strikes signal a new level of strategic partnership between Washington and Jerusalem. Rather than constraining Israeli action or pursuing separate diplomatic channels, America has chosen to directly join Israel’s efforts to neutralize the Iranian threat.
This coordinated approach between the United States and Israel creates a powerful alliance that fundamentally alters the regional balance of power. Iran now faces not just Israeli military pressure, but direct American military action against its most critical strategic assets. The destruction of key nuclear facilities represents a severe blow to Iran’s regional ambitions and its ability to project power through nuclear intimidation.
Breaking Free from Iran’s Stranglehold
For decades, Iran has held the Middle East hostage, preventing the region from advancing toward an era of genuine peace and stability. The theocratic regime in Tehran has systematically undermined progress through its network of proxies, spreading chaos from Lebanon to Yemen. However, Israel’s current position, now reinforced by direct American military support, offers a different vision of what the Middle East could become.
The combination of Israeli military excellence and American strategic backing has effectively neutered Iran’s most dangerous capabilities. With its nuclear program severely damaged and its proxy network under relentless pressure, Iran’s ability to destabilize the region has been dramatically curtailed.
Consider the evidence: Israel maintains peaceful relations with Egypt and Jordan, has normalized ties with members of the Abraham Accords (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan), and stands on the threshold of potential agreements with Saudi Arabia. Looking ahead, there is even the possibility of Lebanon and Syria joining this expanding circle of peace—now freed from Iranian influence.
A Vision for the Future: The Middle East Union
The potential for a Middle East Union—analogous to the European Union—is no longer a distant dream. Such a regional bloc could foster economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and lasting peace among member nations. Israel’s position as the region’s dominant power, combined with its democratic values and proven ability to make peace with former enemies, makes it the natural catalyst for such an initiative.
The key to unlocking this potential lies in removing the Iranian regime’s grip on regional politics. The ayatollahs’ ideology of destruction and their support for terrorist proxies have been the primary obstacles to Middle Eastern integration and prosperity. With Iran’s proxy network weakened, its nuclear program crippled, and its regional influence diminished, the path toward a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East becomes increasingly viable.
Strategic Partnership with America Reaches New Heights
Israel’s emergence as a regional superpower has not only strengthened American interests in the Middle East but has now evolved into direct military cooperation against shared threats. The recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities demonstrate that America views Israel not just as an ally, but as a strategic partner worthy of unprecedented support.
This partnership benefits both nations while contributing to global security. The United States gains from having a strong, democratic ally that can independently address regional threats while also serving as a platform for direct American action when necessary. Israel’s military capabilities and intelligence assets provide invaluable support for American strategic objectives, while America’s direct intervention capability adds decisive weight to Israeli operations.
The coordinated American-Israeli approach sends a clear message to authoritarian regimes across the region and beyond: threats to democratic allies will be met with overwhelming force from both regional and global powers.
The Path Forward
What stands before us is a historic opportunity to reshape the Middle East for the better. Israel’s position as the region’s superpower, earned through defensive necessity rather than imperial ambition, combined with America’s willingness to take direct action against destabilizing forces, creates the possibility for a fundamentally different regional order. This new order would be based on cooperation rather than conflict, economic integration rather than isolation, and democratic values rather than authoritarian oppression.
The vision is clear: a Middle East where democratic Israel leads a coalition of peaceful nations, backed by American strategic power, where economic cooperation replaces proxy warfare, and where the region’s vast potential is finally realized. The crippling of Iran’s nuclear program and the dismantling of its destabilizing influence represents the final piece of this puzzle.
This transformation will not happen overnight, nor will it be without challenges. However, for the first time in decades, the possibility of a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Middle East is within reach. The American-Israeli partnership has proven that when democratic nations stand together with resolve and strength, even the most entrenched authoritarian threats can be decisively defeated.
The new Middle East is taking shape, and the alliance between Israel and America stands ready to lead it toward a future of peace, prosperity, and democratic governance. History will judge this moment as the turning point when the Middle East finally broke free from cycles of violence and embraced its potential as a beacon of progress and cooperation.
About the author
Rabbi Leor Sinai is a Global Speaker, Education Diplomacy Thought-Leader, and long-time Campaign Executive. Sinai is Principal of Sinai Strategies, a consulting agency motivating influential actors to collaborate towards advancing Global – Israel relationships. Sinai is a member of the Israeli Emirati Forum, serves on the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Board of Governors, and on the board of Atchalta—a non-partisan think tank advancing social cohesion and national resilience in Israel. Originally from New York, Sinai made Aliyah with his family in 2011.
