A Region in Flux: Shifting Strategic Alignments in the Middle East

The U.S.-Israel-Iran war has heightened regional volatility, forcing a reassessment of security, sovereignty, and survival calculations across a transforming neighborhood. In response, regional powers are diversifying their alliances and exploring new mechanisms that could support the emergence of robust regional frameworks. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are emerging as potentially critical players in these efforts, evidenced by growing engagement with regional powers across both bilateral and multilateral platforms. Shared unease over prolonged instability and the perceived limits of external security guarantees will likely remain a defining feature of the Middle East’s evolving alignment strategies. But internal tensions and competing visions may undermine ambitions for a cohesive, shared regional security architecture, challenges that will only deepen amid uncertainties over how the post-war order ultimately takes shape.

Against this backdrop, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) convened a panel of experts to examine the realignments shaping the region today. Panelists explored a number of key questions including what are the key dynamics driving regional powers’ diversification strategies? Which powers are emerging as the most consequential in these efforts? How are smaller regional states navigating this competitive landscape? And will regional blocs be able to reconcile their divergences and establish robust, comprehensive, and cooperative frameworks?