Gulf States Weigh Reducing US Military Base Presence
Persian Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, are growing frustrated with President Trump's inability to reach a deal with Iran and are considering alternative security arrangements. Washington, however, remains their key security partner with no real alternative available.
Discontent with Washington is growing among Persian Gulf nations, whose leaders are concerned that President Donald Trump has been unable to broker an agreement with Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing Arab and Western officials.
According to the paper's sources, the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain are now "united in their irritation" over the Trump administration's actions. One Gulf official told the outlet Meduza that "Trump started this war, and we are paying for it," adding that anger toward the United States has reached its highest point since the war with Iran began in February 2026.
Searching for alternatives
The mounting frustration has pushed some countries to consider "new cooperation options" and to debate whether to continue hosting US military bases on their territory. Still, the Post notes that Washington remains the Gulf states' key security partner and main arms supplier, and that no real alternative currently exists. A representative of one Gulf country said the only realistic path is to strengthen ties with Washington, noting that "whatever we do, we cannot tell the United States 'no'."
A signal to Washington came from a collective defense agreement signed last week by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, which a senior European official described as an attempt by the three countries to diversify their security and defense partnerships. A White House representative said Trump has "extremely good" relations with all US partners in the Gulf, and that Iran, through its "terrorist actions," has become more isolated than ever before.
Qatar and Bahrain host major US military bases, which have repeatedly come under Iranian attack in recent months. On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for a 60-day halt in hostilities and the start of talks to end the war, but mutual strikes soon resumed, with both sides continuing to accuse each other of violating the truce.
