David Lee@DavidLe76335983
US military bases have been mostly destroyed in Middle East. Future US presence will be determined by willingness of GCC govt as significant investment will be needed to rebuild these bases
Largest Air Force base - Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and Al Dhafra Air Base in UAE
Largest Naval base - Bahrain HQ for 5th fleet
Largest Army base - Camp Arifjan in Kuwait
Bahrain is pivoting towards dialogue in April 2026. Local voices have increasingly urged the removal of foreign troops. Many question whether US Fifth fleet will ever return
Kuwait has openly limited US offensive from its soil, but actually allowed US troops to attack Iran from Kuwait
Qatar has taken one of the most drastic stances among GCC nations, reportedly announcing the start of U.S. troop withdrawals from its territory in April 2026
Oman has taken a distinct and more critical stance compared to its neighbors, being the only GCC country to explicitly condemn the U.S. and Israeli military operations as "illegal" and "unlawful acts of aggression
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directly informed the Iranian leadership and U.S. officials that the Kingdom will not permit its land, airspace, or territorial waters to be used for any offensive operations in a war it is not a part of. Saudi has defense pact with Russia and Pakistan. It has invited Pakistan to station fighter jets and ground forces as part of the defense pact. Pakistan armed forces is equipped with Chinese weaponry and get support from Chinese hardware. While this deployment is announced as deterrence of Iranian attack, they are also deterrence of US/Israel actions against Saudi royalties and can draw in China if situation arises
UAE, being the nation most aligned with Israel, suffered the most attacks among GCC. Dubai, the financial hub for the region, no longer viable as a business model. UAE has been a vital partner in US/Israel attack on Iran by sharing intelligence, and calling for ground invasion of Iran. UAE crown prince visited Beijing this week to look for China support in security of the post conflict Middle East
Trump is pushing for a graceful way out after US achieved military success but strategic defeat. GCC sees US presence no longer a stabilizing force, but more as a factor that will plunge the region into constant conflict.
We are about to enter Act 3 and all GCC are positioning and looking for post war security arrangement for the region. With US fading out from the region, China and Russia will gradually enter the region to replace US