The U.S. disengagement from the Middle East begun during the Obama administration and perpetuated during the Trump four-year term have favored the emergence of a new regional order. As part of the currently fragmented multipolarity in the Middle East, the increased room for maneuver of regional actors has coincided with the spread of new perceptions of insecurity. This regional environment has generated a variety of dynamics including the establishment of coalitions that cross over the sectarian identities, the adoption of interventionist policies, the outbreak of proxy-wars, and the quest for alliances with extra-regional patrons such as Russia and China. Especially China has expanded its presence in the region, thereby laying the basis for long-term influence. For this reason, the Middle East is bound to become a competitive arena between the United States and China. Through the prism of power transition theory, the article explores the two Great Powers' role in the region by charting the future choices of the newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden.
