According to the Middle East Eye (a UK domiciled media outlet largely staffed by alumni of established media institutions like the Economist, Al Jazeera, BBC and the Guardian), the USG is deflecting — if not effectively denying — replenishment requests from GCC sheikhdoms for air defense interceptors.
Some choice quotes from the
:
It’s time to talk about the post-war future of the US "security" umbrella in the region.
It’s clear those Gulf bases will never hold the same weight again.
The Arab states won't risk further antagonizing Iran by hosting a full US force.
And Washington isn't keen on leaving soldiers and expensive assets sitting ducks now that they’ve seen how Iran actually retaliates.
The bases will likely stay (who knows when the current US paralyzed system materially fixes them, remember this is only 3 days of war).
But their role will be downgraded to a glorified early-warning system for defending Israel.
Everyone now knows this isn't about protecting the Arabs anymore, in the slightest; it's
only about protecting Israel.
So, the Gulf states will go along with it because their royal oil wealth is tied up in Western paper "assets"; they can't disobey them.
But they’ve learned the hard way that the US can’t shield them from Iran, nor destroy it as they secretly wished.
So, they’ll be a lot more
respectful of Tehran from here on out. This is my best guess now.
