The myth of Gulf exceptionalism and US protection is over

The myth of Gulf exceptionalism and US protection is over Submitted by Hind Al Ansari on Tue, 05/05/2026 - 21:18 The Iran war has reduced these nations to collateral damage in a war they hoped their alliances would keep at bay The Dubai skyline is pictured as a smoke plume rises from a fire near the city’s international airport, amid Iranian attacks across the Gulf, on 16 March 2026 (AFP) On Growing up in Doha, Qatar , during the 1990s and 2000s, I recall how the presence of US troops in public spaces would puncture the rhythm of normality. While the country has always been diverse, with people passing through and blending into the background, American soldiers never quite could. Their visibility was hard to ignore.