U.S. strategy in the Persian Gulf since World War II has fluctuated between “offshore balancing”—relying on local powers to maintain stability—and “onshore balancing” through direct military engagement.
Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have sought to revive the first strategy in order to reduce U.S. military casualties and refocus the United States on the challenge posed by a rising China.
