The Iran war has left Persian Gulf states facing an impossible choice: bolster defenses against Iranian drones and missiles, or quietly reopen diplomatic channels to Tehran - or attempt an uneasy mix of both. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, writing in Foreign Policy, warns the old regional status quo has been destroyed with no clear replacement.
The United Arab Emirates, which has been hit by more missiles and drones than Israel during the conflict, will likely erect a high-tech defense shield, "Hvylya" reports. But some of Iran's more vulnerable neighbors are already hedging. Oman, for instance, has sent congratulations to new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei - a signal of accommodation rather than confrontation.
The United States, having been a prime mover in the conflict, will be expected to restore freedom of navigation in the Gulf. But that would be enormously expensive, putting U.S. Central Command on a permanent war footing. Trump, Ignatius notes, "likes the show of American power, but he prefers that others pay the bills."
Organizing a common rescue plan among allies will be difficult. Trump has burned significant goodwill with tariffs and talk of seizing Greenland, the columnist argues, leaving Washington with few willing partners for a long-term Gulf security arrangement. The result is a power vacuum that neither the United States nor the Gulf states themselves are positioned to fill.
Also read: Global Banks Citigroup and Standard Chartered Evacuate Dubai Headquarters Amid Iranian Threats.