Hawzah News Agency- Far from ensuring lasting stability, the US military presence has repeatedly fueled insecurity, division, and foreign-imposed agendas across the region.
Security cannot be purchased from abroad
History shows that foreign military bases do not bring lasting peace. Instead, they often become launchpads for crisis. The Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf have poured billions into US weapons deals, hosting American troops, and financing wars – yet remain trapped in a cycle of instability.
Key examples include:
- Financing Iraq’s war against Iran (1980–1988)
- Rejecting Iran’s proposals for collective regional security (1985, 2015, 2019)
- Backing the US “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, while ignoring Washington’s open contempt for Persian Gulf rulers
As the US President Donald Trump famously put it: “Without us, Saudi Arabia wouldn’t last two weeks.” He also bluntly stated: “We protect them, and they have to pay for that protection.”
These are not secret memos – they are public admissions that Persian Gulf security is a transactional business, not a strategic alliance of equals.
Washington’s double standards on democracy and human rights
While the US claims to champion democracy and human rights, it has turned a blind eye to serious rights violations in the Persian Gulf monarchies – as long as the checks clear. Billions in arms sales and protection fees have effectively bought silence on issues Washington claims to prioritize.
The path forward: Regional cooperation, not foreign bases
The only sustainable security model for the Persian Gulf is one rooted in collective cooperation among all regional states – free from foreign interference. Iran has repeatedly proposed non-aggression pacts, joint security mechanisms (including the Hormuz Peace Endeavor – HOPE), and dialogue-based frameworks. Each time, the offer has been rejected in favor of dependence on extra-regional powers.
But experience has proven: leaders come and go, while nations and geography remain. Lasting stability can only be achieved when all countries in the region are equal stakeholders – not proxies in a hegemonic game.
It is time for the Persian Gulf Arab states to move toward regional convergence, establish joint security mechanisms, and ultimately decide – for their own sake – on the closure of foreign military bases. The future of the region must be shaped by the will of its people, not the strategic interests of powers thousands of miles away.
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