Primary US geopolitical interests in the Middle East

Identify and explain primary US geopolitical interests in the Middle East before 1900, even if those interests occasionally overlap with religious motives and interests Israel is designated by the United States as a major non-NATO ally, and was the first country to be granted this status alongside Egypt in 1987; Israel and Egypt remain the only countries in the Middle East to have this designation.

Currently stated priorities of the U.S. government in the Middle East include resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and limiting the spread of weapons of mass destruction among regional states, particularly Iran.