Israel-Hamas war poised to inflame Middle East arms race, pressure security partnerships

Al-Monitor Pro members

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst, Al-Monitor

Oct. 25, 2023

Soon after the Gaza war erupted Oct. 7, shipments of American weapons began heading to Israel. They won’t be the last, regardless of how far the fighting spreads. As the Middle East descends into a new phase of conflict and confrontation, regional states look poised to significantly boost military spending and procurement as the threat landscape grows more complicated and mounting popular unrest heightens unease among ruling regimes.

Turkey already is: On Oct. 17, Ankara revealed its 2024 military budget would reach $40 billion, up 150% over 2023. Alongside potentially accelerating an arms race and raising risks of nuclear proliferation, this moment of rising instability will have significant implications for the United States and its future as the primary regional security guarantor and top arms supplier for key Middle East states.