The arrival in mid-2025 to Libya of Massad Boulos, senior advisor to President Donald Trump, highlights a major turning point in the changing American policy towards the region.
Such summits with both Libyan warring camps and its neighbors in Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria are a sign of Boulos shifting toward practical diplomacy after years of little interference following the 2011 NATO-led intervention and the chaotic rounds that ensued.
This realigned posture represents a shift from the previous American activities of democratic nation-building to now a power balancing, counterterrorist activities and protection of economic interests. As Libya continues to be influenced by the conflicting vested interests of Russia and Turkey as well as regional powers, the US is readjusting its position in order to maintain its strategic presence in the Mediterranean and Sahel corridors.
Navigating a fragmented domestic landscape
Libya is still politically divided between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli and the east-based House of Representatives which is aligned with the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar. Parallel with the two main poles of powers is an immense system of tribal militias and autonomous organizations that, due to local control in different parts of the land, is used.
Such a re-engagement under these terms will be tactical. The American authorities have relations with both Tripoli and Benghazi as part of the effort to establish a foot on both sides of such a rigid cleavage. However, without a permanent presence of embassies and with security conditions yet to become stabilised, the capability of Washington to stabilise its position is limited.
Military coordination and counterterrorism efforts
The military component of American involvement has become more pronounced, even though its diplomatic component has been wary. In April 2025, the USS Mount Whitney moved into the waters of Libya in a show of force to support anti-terrorist relations. Africom is working with partners in Libya to counter residual radical Islamic threats, such as remnants of ISIS and al-Qaeda or any other groups taking advantage of Libya being geographically extensive and governed with weak supervision.
Intelligence-sharing schemes and joint training exercises in addition to military coordination is an indication that there is a concerted effort to ensure that Libya does not provide a safe haven to transnational militants. Nevertheless, the scope and distribution of unrest in Libya make operations impossible to standardise.
Competing foreign actors and strategic positioning
Russian Wagner Group mercenaries have a low, but destabilizing profile in the east and south of Libya, and Turkey is also entrenched through its support of Tripoli based forces. Egypt and the Emirates are also backing Haftar-allied forces and French and Italian policies towards Libya remain in conflict through the European Union. The United States has to offer balanced diplomacy to keep itself out of such zero-sum games of rivalry.
The concerned US involvement is positioned as a balancing act- sparing future Russian and Turkish entrenchment and at the same time retaining regional energy and maritime security, which is crucial to the European allies.
Economic imperatives drive renewed interest
Economic diplomacy is central to US interests in Libya. To take advantage of the remaining importance of oil and gas production to Libya and the need of Europe to diversify its own energy supply, companies in the US are being urged to re-enter the Libyan market. The change toward strengthening commercial relations is indicated in the announcement by the National Oil Corporation of an intended Libyan-American energy forum in late 2025.
This practice fits the overall trend in the US foreign policy which focuses on economic independence and energy alliances as the means of geopolitical influence. The ability of Libya to expand output and stabilise exports is subject to serious uncertainty in security and the ability to coordinate administrative coordination.
The political impasse and risks to durable peace
Libya has yet to conduct nationwide elections despite repeated UN efforts since 2021. Failed negotiations and unresolved disputes over constitutional frameworks continue to stall progress. The United States supports the UN’s mediation efforts but acknowledges that local ownership and reconciliation must precede electoral legitimacy.
Regional interventions further complicate the political landscape. Rival foreign backers fuel parallel governments and security forces, impeding the creation of a unified state. US officials like Boulos are attempting to use informal networks to broker piecemeal understandings, yet without broader consensus, these efforts face structural limits.
The push for diplomatic permanence
Whereas recent visits have indicated readiness to reengage, experts note that a sustained diplomatic presence is the only way to have real influence. The notice to Congress in 2024 by the Biden administration on the reopening of the embassy in Tripoli in the middle of 2025 has not as yet been realised because of security concerns and political uncertainties.
A permanent mission would allow them to maintain a more regular dialogue with the political process, watch it more closely, and coordinate with civil society and business representatives. In its absence, however, US diplomacy will likely continue to be episodic and ad-hoc, dependent on the large gestures afforded by visits, but not by the greater power of diplomatic influence.
Engagement requires alignment with multilateral frameworks
Sustained US involvement will necessitate a convergence with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), partners of the African Union, and the European stakeholders. People can join together to facilitate political reconciliation and rebuilding of institutions. In 2025, the American style is more coordination than unilateralism based on the recognition that Libya has a highly internationalized conflict system.
The limitation to which the US can influence the future of Libya lies in its ability to synchronize its strategic goals with requirements of the local population, i.e. focusing on infrastructure development, economic revival, and sustainable participation in governance along with security concerns.
Local perspectives highlight long-term challenges
Political analyst Zaki Riboua recently offered a concise assessment of American efforts on the platform X, noting that:
“The US approach with Libya demonstrates a move from lofty ideals toward concrete power balancing and economic pragmatism but the success depends on continuous engagement, not episodic gestures.”
Such observation adds to the dilemma to what extent Washington is in a new strategy shift between ideologically based interventions and realpolitik findings made on the basis of interests. Still, in the absence of a long-term framework under which this approach would be based on local legitimacy and longevity, such reversals are still a risk.
The future of Libya is uncertain as it relates to the internal and power struggles in the world. To the United States, there is a requirement of flexible yet determined diplomacy and orchestrated multilateralism and investment in the economy in relation to stabilization objectives. The measures adhered to in the year 2025 could play an essential role in determining whether Libya will become a friendly state in the region or the site of unfriendly control and instability.
