oman ▁heart land ▁of ▁An atol ia . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁r ul ers ▁tried ▁to ▁modern ize ▁their ▁states ▁to ▁comp ete ▁more ▁effectively ▁with ▁the ▁European ▁powers . ▁A ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁came ▁when ▁oil ▁was ▁discovered , ▁first ▁in ▁Pers ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ▁( in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ) ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁states , ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁and ▁Al ger ia . ▁A ▁Western ▁dependence ▁on ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁oil ▁and ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁British ▁influence ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁growing ▁American ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Egypt ▁made ▁moves ▁towards ▁independence . ▁The ▁British , ▁the ▁French , ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁depart ed ▁from ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁( 1 9 3 9 – 1 9 4 5 ). ▁The ▁Arab – Is ra eli ▁conflict ▁in ▁Palest ine ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁United ▁Nations ▁plan ▁to ▁partition ▁Palest ine . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁Cold ▁War ▁t ensions , ▁the ▁Arab ic - spe aking ▁countries ▁of ▁Western ▁Asia ▁and ▁Northern ▁Africa ▁saw ▁the ▁rise ▁of