Since the endof World WarII, the UnitedS t a t e s h a sregarded the MiddleEast as one of its“unsinkable aircraftcarriers.” Every U.S.president has paidcareful attention to theregion, even during theCold War. Followingthe disintegration of the Soviet Union,nearly all of the Middle East was under U.S.influence during the 1990s. However, recentturbulence has truly frustrated Washingtonand demonstrated the declining influence ofthe United States in the region.