The new geopolitical framework of the Middle East

The Sykes-Picot Agreement structured the Middle East resulting from the decomposition of the Ottoman Empire according to the interests of the European powers of the time. This extra-regional design was altered from 1945 on by the emergence of the Cold War, polarizing the region. Following the end of the bipolar era, the growing securitization of international politics after 9/11 and the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region have relaunched the geopolitical analysis of the Middle East and emphasized its "gray area" character. The situation has been instrumented by some regional actors and also by great powers that compete for hegemony. A new geopolitical map is being developed that may transform the Middle East in the coming decades.