Gulf Countries Diversify Defense Partnerships Amid US Concerns

Gulf countries remain close security partners and depend on Washington for arms supplies. Qatar and Bahrain have large US military bases. A Gulf country official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump started the war, but "we're paying the price." A senior European official says last week's mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan was "a signal to the United States." The official, who is in regular contact with Gulf leaders, says the agreement shows powerful Sunni countries are trying to diversify their defense partnerships. He says the United States is not enough. A White House official says President Trump has had extraordinary relationships with all Gulf partners. According to The Washington Post, an official speaking on condition of anonymity under White House rules, "The United States has been in regular contact with all of our regional allies since before Operation Epic Fury." The director of the Middle East Affairs Group for the Middle East and the Middle East says he has "seen disappointment in the Middle East."