Publication

This paper explores the impact the Arab Spring uprisings have had on the Middle Eastern regional security complex (RSC). The author shows that prior to the uprisings, the Middle Eastern RSC consisted of a relatively compact set of actors whose strategic rivalries generated a comparatively low level of interstate conflict. The author argues that the Middle Eastern RSC became much more volatile and diversified in the aftermath of the uprisings, as escalating inter-sectarian antagonism inside Syria fueled sectarian-related tensions in other Middle Eastern countries.