Review

The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East

Number: 16 July 29, 2025
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The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East

Abstract

This article examines the shifting power and security dynamics in the Middle East, focusing on the period from the 9/11 attacks to the escalation that followed Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Drawing on structural realism and neoclassical realism, the study argues critically that while global powers have historically exerted significant influence, regional actors-both state and non-state- have acquired increased agency in shaping security outcomes. The Arab Spring, the entrenchment of proxy wars, and the rise of identity-based mobilizations illustrate the interplay between domestic and external drivers. Using a composite index of hard and soft power, the analysis identifies Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Iran as regional pivotal players, with smaller states and non-state factions affecting patterns of conflict and cooperation. The findings emphasize that the Middle East functions as neither a purely subordinate subsystem nor one fully autonomous from international competition, but rather as a fluid arena where systemic and local pressures converge.

Keywords

References

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  3. Al Talei, R., Baroud, R. & Hammad, M. (2023). The Palestinian factor in Arab Israeli normalization: October 2023 and beyond, Gulf Research Center.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Middle East Studies

Journal Section

Review

Early Pub Date

July 7, 2025

Publication Date

July 29, 2025

Submission Date

December 15, 2024

Acceptance Date

May 4, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 16

APA
Alakel, M., & Arab, A. N. A. (2025). The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East. İmgelem, 16, 203-240. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1601955
AMA
1.Alakel M, Arab ANA. The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East. İMGELEM. 2025;(16):203-240. doi:10.53791/imgelem.1601955
Chicago
Alakel, Murat, and Aulaa Najm Abdullah Arab. 2025. “The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East”. İmgelem, nos. 16: 203-40. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1601955.
EndNote
Alakel M, Arab ANA (July 1, 2025) The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East. İmgelem 16 203–240.
IEEE
[1]M. Alakel and A. N. A. Arab, “The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East”, İMGELEM, no. 16, pp. 203–240, July 2025, doi: 10.53791/imgelem.1601955.
ISNAD
Alakel, Murat - Arab, Aulaa Najm Abdullah. “The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East”. İmgelem. 16 (July 1, 2025): 203-240. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1601955.
JAMA
1.Alakel M, Arab ANA. The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East. İMGELEM. 2025;:203–240.
MLA
Alakel, Murat, and Aulaa Najm Abdullah Arab. “The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East”. İmgelem, no. 16, July 2025, pp. 203-40, doi:10.53791/imgelem.1601955.
Vancouver
1.Murat Alakel, Aulaa Najm Abdullah Arab. The Changing Power and Security Dynamics in the Middle East. İMGELEM. 2025 Jul. 1;(16):203-40. doi:10.53791/imgelem.1601955

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