Are Saudi and UAE strikes on Iran a turning point in Pentagon’s Gulf strategy?
Officials tout Arab alignment with the United States, but there are signs that Gulf states aren't in lockstep with Washington as it tries to maximize leverage over Iran.
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WASHINGTON — For the better part of three decades, Pentagon officials across multiple administrations have sought to persuade oil-rich Arab monarchies in the Gulf to build out their militaries and push back against provocations by more powerful neighbors — first Iraq, and then Iran.
The initiative — codified as formal policy under the Obama administration and since adopted in Trump's national security and national defense strategies — aims to reduce the US military's role as the primary defender of Gulf states to that of a supporting role so that Washington can shift focus to the Asia theater. It has made only limited headway, but there are some signs the current war with Iran may be changing that.
Reports this week that the UAE’s Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) separately carried out their own airstrikes on Iranian soil in retaliation for missile and drone attacks appeared to mark a new step in the Pentagon's push to convince Gulf states to defend themselves.
