Total trade between the United States and the Middle East amounts to approximately USD 218 billion.

As a result, many Middle Eastern countries believe China can fill any gap that could emerge if the United States reduces its regional engagement.

For Gulf countries that have invested billions of dollars in security partnerships with the United States, such developments have raised concerns regarding the reliability of American commitments during times of crisis.

The ongoing US-Iran conflict has revealed several realities that are reshaping the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. It has highlighted what many perceive as Washington’s inability to suppress Iranian resistance or significantly weaken the existing regime. Gulf countries have increasingly come to recognise that the US military bases stationed across their territories were not intended for their protection, but also served to safeguard Israel and maintain American dominance in the region.

As the conflict intensified, these military installations appeared less valuable to the host countries that had long supported their presence. At a critical moment, the United States itself was perceived by some regional actors as a liability rather than a reliable security provider. This realisation prompted Gulf countries to place greater emphasis on regional defence cooperation aimed at protecting their territories against future escalations. The emerging defence cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye is often cited as an example of this trend.

Historically, US interventions in the Middle East have brought chaos and instability to the region. In 1953, the CIA and the United........

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