Why does the U. S. get involved in conflicts in the Middle East?

U. S. involvement in the affairs of countries in the Middle East is a long, complicated, and tenuous history. The simple answer is that the United States has been involved in conflicts in the Middle East because of its relationships with countries and governments in that region and more broadly its desire to assert its influence in this vital region of the world that has unfortunately been rife with conflict. During the Cold War the Middle East was very much a battleground between the U. S. and the Soviet Union in the fight for resources, influence, and power. This has continued today as new rivalries and conflicts have developed even without the Soviet Union.