DARPA and the Perpetuation of the Crisis Cycle in the Middle East

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD., Student, International Relations, Ha.C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran.

2 Department of Political Science and International Relations, Ha.C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran

10.22081/psq.2025.70538.2929

Abstract

Crisis and the Middle East (West Asia) have been two intertwined concepts in the 21st century. Understanding the persistence of the crisis cycle in the Middle East is a perennial concern for contemporary scholars. The presence of internal dynamics and the involvement of great powers in the Middle East have always constituted a significant part of the crisis process and cycle in the region. The United States has had the greatest presence in the Middle East since the second half of the 20th century. Alongside the direct presence of
the US government, various private economic, military, and other sectors have also
been actively present in the country's spheres of influence, contributing to and affecting many developments. The central question of this research is to what extent the arms manufacturing industry, as a private sector industry with the closest cooperation with the Pentagon, has been effective in creating crises in the Middle East. Specifically, how has DARPA, as one of the largest arms manufacturing companies in the United States, influenced US policy-making regarding the Middle East? The hypothesis suggests that DARPA, as the most advanced and largest collection of arms industries in the United States, through extraordinary innovations in the field of weaponry, seeks to steer US foreign policy towards fomenting war in the Middle East region in order to sell more military weapons and increase its power in the international arena. The article's hypothesis further posits that due to the existence of destabilizing factors such as religious, geopolitical, and sectarian conflicts, the motivation for various groups to purchase military equipment in this region is greater than in other regions; consequently, these industries can easily find a suitable market for selling their equipment. To examine this hypothesis, the theory of offensive realism is employed to analyze the alignment of US foreign policy with DARPA's interests and the creation of crises in the Middle East. The research finds that two elements—the existence of internal conditions (intra-regional conflicts) and the intervention of great powers—create a suitable market for arms-selling companies, enabling them to achieve their goals through lobbying within the US power structure and communication with active groups in the region. Reducing the intervention of entities like DARPA can only be achieved through fostering convergence, reducing conflicts, or establishing intra-regional security arrangements.

Keywords

References

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Political Science
Volume 28, Issue 4
December 2025
Pages 199-218

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