F e b rua ry 1 national secur it y

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
26
★
★
Seek Stability and Peace in the Middle East and North Africa
In the Middle East, we will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people, confront external 
aggression against our allies and partners, ensure the free flow of energy from the region to the world, 
and prevent the development, proliferation, or use of weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, 
we remain committed to a vision of the Middle East that is peaceful and prosperous, where democracy 
takes root and human rights are upheld. Sadly, this is not the case today, and nowhere is the violence 
more tragic and destabilizing than in the sectarian conflict from Beirut to Baghdad, which has given rise 
to new terrorist groups such as ISIL.
Resolving these connected conflicts, and enabling long-term stability in the region, requires more than 
the use and presence of American military forces. For one, it requires partners who can defend them-
selves. We are therefore investing in the ability of Israel, Jordan, and our Gulf partners to deter aggression 
while maintaining our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, including its Qualitative Military 
Edge. We are working with the Iraqi government to resolve Sunni grievances through more inclusive 
and responsive governance. With our partners in the region and around the world, we are leading a 
comprehensive counterterrorism strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL. At the same time, we 
will continue to pursue a lasting political solution to the devastating conflict in Syria.
Stability and peace in the Middle East and North Africa also requires reducing the underlying causes 
of conflict. America will therefore continue to work with allies and partners toward a comprehensive 
agreement with Iran that resolves the world’s concerns with the Iranian nuclear program. We remain 
committed to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution that ensures Israel’s 
security and Palestine’s viability. We will support efforts to deescalate sectarian tensions and violence 
between Shi’a and Sunni communities throughout the region. We will help countries in transition make 
political and economic reforms and build state capacity to maintain security, law and order, and respect 
for universal rights. In this respect, we seek a stable Yemen that undertakes difficult structural reforms and 
confronts an active threat from al-Qa’ida and other rebels. We will work with Tunisia to further progress 
on building democratic institutions and strengthening its economy. We will work with the U.N. and our 
Arab and European partners in an effort to help stabilize Libya and reduce the threat posed by lawless 
militias and extremists. And we will maintain strategic cooperation with Egypt to enable it to respond to 
shared security threats, while broadening our partnership and encouraging progress toward restoration 
of democratic institutions.