American Doctrines and Strategies in the Mediterranean Region
American Doctrines and Strategies in the Mediterranean Region

Summary/Abstract: The Mediterranean region has never been a peripheral area of interest in the strategic calculus of US foreign policy. Its multiple geostrategic, economic, and political stakes with global impact are amplified by the ongoing competition with Russia and China. For the United States, a flexible, strategic, and tactical approach has long served as the central vector of its foreign policy in a region characterised by shifting alliances and the redefinition of strategic coordinates. This article examines the continuities and nuances in US foreign policy towards the Mediterranean region, from the Cold War to the present. It highlights how American exceptionalism, liberal internationalism, and pragmatic realism have shaped US engagement in this area, transforming the Mediterranean into both a geopolitical arena and a testing ground for global order-making. The analysis identifies the strategic decisions and doctrinal transformations emanating from the White House that define the core of US foreign policy. By tracing the evolution from Bush’s interventionismto Obama’s multilateralism, Trump’s unilateralism, and Biden’s renewed alliance diplomacy, the study reveals how US policy continues to balance ideals and interests, mirroring the changing nature of American leadership in a multipolar and conflict-prone international system. The Mediterranean arena remains a “black box” where competitive advantage depends on anticipating and understanding strategic, tactical, political, and economic choices. The US position in the region is deeply anchored in the subtle yet sensitive mechanisms through which power, influence, and interests are exercised.

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