At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025, renowned economist and global affairs expert Professor Jeffrey Sachs delivered a powerful critique of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Drawing from over a decade of geopolitical developments, Sachs argued that the Syrian conflict and broader regional instability are not the results of internal strife alone, but of deliberate U.S.-led interventions, often shaped by Israeli strategic objectives. He challenged the moral and strategic legitimacy of American support for military campaigns in Syria and Gaza, framing them as obstacles to peace and enablers of ongoing violence. In a call for diplomatic realignment, Sachs urged the United States to abandon regime change strategies and instead support regional self-determination—a shift he believes could unlock peace across the Middle East.

Origins of the Syrian Conflict: A U.S.-Led Regime Change

• Professor Sachs attributes the Syrian war not to internal civil unrest, but to a U.S.-driven operation beginning in 2011.
• He cites Operation Timber Sycamore as part of a covert effort under President Obama to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, influenced heavily by Israeli strategic interests.
• Sachs argues this foreign intervention led to massive chaos, civilian casualties, and prolonged instability, undermining the sovereignty of regional powers.

U.S. Imperialism and Regional Destabilization

• Sachs condemns what he calls U.S. imperialism, claiming it prevents Middle Eastern nations from determining their own destinies.
• He emphasizes that true peace is unattainable as long as external powers—primarily the United States—continue to impose regime change and militarized influence in the region.
• He links broader Middle East instability to a pattern of U.S.-Israeli regime change strategies.

American Support for Israeli Military Actions

• Sachs strongly criticizes the U.S. role in supporting Israel's military campaigns, especially in Gaza and Syria.
• He accuses the U.S. of providing the financial and intelligence backbone for what he calls genocidal violence in Gaza.
• The U.S. military alliance with Israel, he suggests, fuels regional violence rather than deterring it.

Obstruction of Peace in Syria and Palestine

• Sachs recounts past peace negotiation attempts in Syria, asserting that the U.S. insistence on Assad's removal was a major obstacle.
• This rigid position, he says, resulted in missed opportunities for diplomacy and thousands of preventable deaths.
• He concludes that a shift in U.S. policy toward Palestinian statehood could bring about immediate peace and normalization across the Middle East.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs is a University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He previously led The Earth Institute (2002–2016) and is currently President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Sachs has advised three UN Secretaries-General and serves as an SDG Advocate under Antonio Guterres. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.