The United States serves as a pivotal military and financial supporter in the Levant region, encompassing nations such as Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, by channeling substantial resources to foster alliances and regional stability. In fiscal year 2024, Israel received approximately $17.9 billion in U.S. aid, predominantly military assistance aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities against potential threats from neighboring states and non-state actors, under agreements like the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding that emphasize maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge. Jordan, another key recipient, obtained around $1.7 billion, blending military financing for counterterrorism efforts with economic support to manage refugee crises and promote internal stability. Aid to Egypt, which borders the Levant, totals about $1.5 billion annually, including military aid tied to peace accords with Israel. These expenditures, totaling billions across the region, are supplemented by weapons transfers and training programs, reflecting a strategy to secure loyalty and cooperation without direct territorial control.

Complementing financial aid, the U.S. maintains a network of military bases and facilities in and around the Levant to project power, gather intelligence, and support allied operations. Permanent bases exist in Jordan, such as those hosting U.S. forces for joint exercises and rapid response capabilities, as well as in Iraq, which is sometimes included in broader Levant discussions due to its proximity and shared security challenges. These installations facilitate logistics for counter-ISIS missions and deter aggression from Iran-backed groups, while avoiding the entanglements of full occupation. In Syria, U.S. presence is more limited, with around 900 troops focused on stabilizing post-conflict areas rather than conquest, underscoring a preference for advisory roles over expansive basing. This infrastructure, combined with aid, buys influence by enabling host nations to enhance their own defenses, thereby aligning their interests with U.S. geopolitical goals like energy security and countering extremism.

The rationale for this aid-and-bases approach over outright invasion, conquest, or colonization stems from the prohibitive costs and risks of direct military dominance in a historically volatile region. Historical precedents, such as the U.S.-backed Israeli actions in Lebanon or interventions in Iraq, highlight how full-scale operations incur trillions in expenses, thousands of casualties, and international condemnation, often leading to prolonged insurgencies and instability. In contrast, providing aid under frameworks like the Eisenhower Doctrine—originally designed to counter external aggression through economic and military support—allows the U.S. to achieve strategic benefits, such as alliances that prevent the spread of adversarial influences like communism or modern equivalents from Iran or Russia, at a fraction of the cost. This method promotes mutual dependencies, where recipient nations gain resources for self-defense while the U.S. secures access to vital trade routes and intelligence, avoiding the economic and political burdens of colonial administration that characterized earlier imperial eras.