NEW YORK (GZERO MEDIA) - "Pivot to Asia" was the catchphrase floating around Washington DC's foreign policy circles in 2009 when former president Barack Obama first took office. And yet twelve years later, the Middle East continues to consume the attention of the United States' military and diplomatic efforts.

Now, President Joe Biden is determined to change that, and to turn Washington's attention to Asia once and for all as he moves to confront a growing China.

But according to Johns Hopkins University Middle East scholar Vali Nasr, Mr Biden's approach to the Middle East will have to adapt to the once-in-a-generation power grab occurring between Iran, Israel and Turkey, while Arab nations in the region increasingly lose influence.

Mr Biden cannot afford to stay in the Middle East, with other priorities to be tended to such as China and domestic politics, says Mr Nasr.

However, in order to leave the Middle East, the United States must first find a way to reduce tensions - either by allowing the Iranians, Kurds and Israelis come to an agreement themselves, or by trying to reduce the degree of competition between the powers in the region.

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