Comment on The Mediterranean Cold War by Silas-Coldwine

For the same reason they ended up pursuing good relations with the People's Republic of China IOTL. With Iraq gone, the idea of a Hashemite alliance that countered the UAR was discarded, and the UAR seemed on the way of becoming a fait accompli. So the USA though that, as long as they could be kept outside the Soviet sphere and oil prices were fine, they could make the situation beneficial. IOTL there were similar considerations, even if they went nowhere, so it's not that far-fetched.