The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing official sources in Gulf states and the West, about growing feelings of despair and frustration with President Donald Trump’s handling of the campaign against Iran. “Trump started this war,” a Gulf official said, “and we’re paying the price.”
1+For weeks now, President Trump has been threatening Iran again and again, but in practice, according to the report, he isn’t following through on his threats, backs down quickly, and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain feel he is “unable to manage the diplomacy needed to secure peace with Iran.” Meanwhile, the partners are reconsidering the value of hosting American bases on their territory.
According to the report, a senior European official said that “the mutual defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signals to the U.S. that the three Sunni-Muslim nations are seeking to diversify their partnerships—in light of Trump’s failure to do so.” In response, a White House official told the Post that “Trump has exceptional relationships with all our Gulf partners. Iran is more isolated than ever as a result of its terrorist actions.”
1+According to the Washington Post, “Anna Jacobs, a senior research fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, points to declining trust in the U.S. since the start of the campaign against Iran. U.S. allies believe its behavior in the region is making them less secure—not more.”