Arms purchases on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf used to follow a predictable pattern: for governments of countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, they seemed as much about acquiring trophies as about strengthening national security. … However, this pattern is changing as some Gulf states perceive a growing threat from Iran. …
The bases and weapons purchases illustrate the dichotomy of Gulf thinking regarding Iran. Some Gulf states fear that Iran, with its size and wealth, aspires to the status of regional superpower. Were Iran to have nuclear weapons … rulers fear Tehran could dictate to them in military and economic matters. They do not want a nuclear Iran. At the same time, however, they are concerned about the possible consequences of a hard Western line against Iran, and especially of military action aimed at disabling its nuclear program. They fear that Tehran’s response would be to lash out not at the West, but at the West’s friends in its neighborhood. Hence their increased expenditure on defense, missile shields and foreign bases. Access the full analysis>>
