Just when matters seemed to be taking a turn for the better for U.S. allies, President Donald Trump threw them into disarray once again. That is not a reference to America’s NATO allies in Europe, which the Trump administration is currently criticizing for refusing to become involved in its war against Iran by helping to reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping.
Nor is it a reference to Israel. While the U.S. and Israel are fighting alongside one another in this war, there is concern that the war’s unpopularity, combined with the perception that Trump was convinced to launch it due to lobbying by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could ultimately undermine the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Instead, it is a reference to the U.S. allies that through no choice of their own now find themselves bearing the brunt of Iran’s retaliation for the war: the Gulf states. During the first two weeks of fighting, Iran launched more drone and missile strikes at its Gulf neighbors than it did at Israel, targeting not only U.S. bases they host but also civilian infrastructure. While missile defense systems operated by the Gulf states have intercepted a large proportion of those missiles and drones, some have still gotten through, causing damage and destruction to oil and gas facilities, but also airports and hotels. The United Arab Emirates has been especially vulnerable, with its Ministry of Defense reporting over 1,000 Iranian drone attacks and hundreds of missile strikes. Viral social media posts by expats in Dubai liken it to living in a bomb shelter.