Israeli Hostages Freed, Iran Hit, Ceasefire Held—2025 Shattered Idea That US Was Exiting the Middle East

For years, Washington has spoken about reducing its Middle East footprint, yet analysts told Fox News Digital that 2025 proved the opposite: American force — not retreat — reshaped the region.

Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), said the past year confirmed a long-standing strategic lesson. “2025 underscored what Middle East watchers have long known, and U.S. policymakers never seemed to want to admit: that strength is the currency of the realm and there is no substitute for U.S. leadership,” he said.

…

Misztal also argued that the outcome was not the result of diplomacy alone. “The relative calm that the region is now enjoying, after two years of war, is not the result of diplomacy, which failed on its own to stop Iran’s nuclear advance or convince Hamas to return Israeli hostages,” Misztal said. “It is the result of Israeli and U.S. willingness to use force, and do so together in pursuit of common objectives.”

“Operations Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer, coupled with the Israeli strike in Doha, unlocked the path to peace,” he added.

…

Misztal warned that the calm will not hold without sustained U.S. engagement. “The sands of the Middle East are always shifting,” he said. “Today’s calm will not last without consistent effort applied to uphold it.”

He warned that 2026 could see renewed pressure from multiple fronts. “Adversaries will seek to reassert themselves and find new advantages,” Misztal said. “Iran will test the boundaries of U.S. and Israeli patience and ISIS or other Sunni extremists may seek a spectacular attack to mark their comeback.”

“These will all be tests for the U.S. appetite to continue applying the ‘peace through strength’ approach,” Misztal said. “If Washington takes its eyes off the region, the progress of the last year might quickly be lost.”

…