The world has now witnessed relief as a two-week-long truce between Iran and the US came into effect on April 8 (Wednesday), after nearly 40 days of relentless exchanges of attacks between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, during which the Gulf region served as one of the main military theaters. As the fog of conflict begins to clear, one painful reality becomes undeniable: the Gulf states were dragged into a war they never chose, to serve an agenda that was never theirs, all while their security was traded away to protect Israel, not them. This has fundamentally exposed the true nature of Washington’s alliances in the region.

While most Gulf countries publicly denounce Iran’s attacks on their territories, decision-makers in these capitals are confronting a simple and painful question: was all that investment in US weapons—including hosting American military bases—worth the cost? And if not, what is left of the United States as a reliable partner for them?

From the very first strikes on February 28, it was clear that this war was not about Gulf security. It was exclusively in Israel’s interest—an attempt to reset the regional balance at Iran’s expense, and at the expense of the stability of the entire Gulf.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov articulated what many in the region think privately: the war aims “to create a split between Iran and its Arab neighbors,” operating on the old colonial principle of “divide and conquer.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov articulated what many in the region think privately: the war aims “to create a split between Iran and its Arab neighbors,” operating on the old colonial principle of “divide and conquer.”

The Gulf states were never consulted. Their fears were never considered. Instead, they were presented with a fait accompli, forced to absorb the consequences of a conflict designed in Washington and Tel Aviv. Once again, the Middle East is caught in a US-manufactured conflict, bearing........

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