By: Ashiadey Dotse
Enoch Afoakwah, a member of the legal team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the strategic importance of the Middle East to the United States is largely due to the region’s vast oil resources which are crucial to global economic and political influence.
Speaking in an interview on news and current affairs programme, ‘Current Agenda’ on GTV on Saturday February 7, 2026, the lawyer explained that the United States continues to play a dominant role in global affairs partly to protect its position within the international system.
According to him, the Middle East remains a critical area for the US because controlling or influencing the region’s energy resources has significant implications for global power dynamics.
Mr. Afoakwah said if countries such as Iran are allowed to develop stronger military capabilities, including nuclear power, they could gain greater influence in the Middle East and challenge existing global power structures.
He noted that the current international order has largely been shaped by multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which he said, have historically been influenced by the United States.
Mr. Afoakwah further explained that after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the global system became largely dominated by the United States, making it the leading power in what many analysts describe as a unipolar world.
He argued that American foreign policy decisions, including its actions in the Middle East and support for alliances such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are aimed at maintaining that dominance and preventing rival powers from emerging.
Mr. Afoakwah added that every country must also pursue its national interest, urging Ghana to focus on managing its natural resources effectively to strengthen its economic future.
