Mar 10, 2026 17:24 pm IST

Opinion | Is The Gulf Now Questioning Its US Ties - And The American 'Guarantee'?

Doubts are bound to follow if even the US, the mightiest of the militaries and with 13 major military bases in the region, could not protect it against only one opposing nation - Iran.

Col Rajeev Agarwal (Retd) Col Rajeev Agarwal (Retd)

Col Rajeev Agarwal (Retd)

The war in Iran, unleashed through pre-emptive strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, is well into its second week, and there are no signs of either side giving up soon. Contrary to expectations, Iran has hit back hard and refused to buckle under the tremendous pressure exerted on it. The targeted assassination of its Supreme Leader and over 40 top military commanders has only strengthened its resolve to fight back. Over the past 12 days, not only has Iran hit back at Israel, but it has also successfully targeted a number of American military bases and assets across the region. These attacks, coupled with strikes on critical energy infrastructure like oil depots, oil fields, gas fields and perhaps the most critical, closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have sent the entire region into a spiral.

People are asking tough questions, especially on the ineffectiveness of the regional security apparatus as well as the security guarantees of America that it has been promising the region for over decades. Many are questioning the whole logic of it, while others are already looking at alternative security options for the future.

Why has it happened? Why are Gulf nations so helpless and unable to secure their land against Iranian attacks? What are the options to ensure foolproof security in the region, going forward? Tough questions that will be debated long after the war is over. For understanding the current security dynamics and why it has failed, there is a need to fully understand the Gulf Security Architecture.

The security arrangement in the Gulf goes back to the security umbrella provided by the British till the late 1960s. Thereafter, it was the US that took over the responsibility with the articulation of the Nixon Doctrine in 1969, which called on US allies to contribute to their own security with the aid of American security assistance. The ''Twin Pillars policy" was a natural outgrowth of it. It incorporated twin pillars in the form of Saudi Arabia and Iran to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf.

This policy, however, fell apart after the Iranian........

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