Dr. Jesse Weinberg

Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)

Bio

Dr. Jesse Weinberg is a Researcher at the INSS in the US-Israel and International Area research programs. Dr. Weinberg’s current research focuses on U.S.–Middle East relations, U.S. foreign policy, great power competition, and the Middle East within the international system. He received his Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University, where he wrote his dissertation on U.S. relations with Syria from 1977 to 1988 and holds undergraduate and masters degrees from Tufts University and the London School of Economics.

Reassessing the Carter Doctrine: From Formation to Dissolution—1980 to the Present

Abstract

In January 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared that the United States would use military force to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf against external attempts to control the region. This paper argues that Washington’s strategic shift toward the Gulf predated the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, reflecting a longer-term reassessment of the region’s geopolitical significance for energy security and regional stability.