A strategic analysis argues that small, wealthy Gulf states like Kuwait and Bahrain are inherently vulnerable to powerful neighbors and that hosting US bases remains the most effective way to preserve their sovereignty, even if it draws them into the conflict with Iran.
The Zioneer has published a strategic analysis examining the security calculus of Kuwait and Bahrain amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The analysis contends that small, wealthy Gulf states are inherently vulnerable to powerful neighbors, citing the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait as a historical precedent. It argues that hosting US military bases, despite making them targets of Iranian attacks, is the most rational means of preserving their sovereignty. The piece asserts that without a US security umbrella, Kuwait and Bahrain would be unable to withstand pressure from Iran or other regional powers, and that their current policy of hosting American forces is a necessary trade-off between security and independence. The analysis references recent Iranian strikes on both countries as evidence of the vulnerability that drives their dependence on the United States.
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