US Gulf Allies Grow Fed Up With Trump Over Iran, Question Need for American Bases: 'We Are Paying the Price'

US-allied Gulf states are reportedly losing patience with Donald Trump's handling of the Iran war, with some officials now questioning whether hosting American military bases still makes them safer.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain share growing frustration with Washington, according to a The Washington Post report citing Arab and Western officials. The anger stems in part from Trump's inability so far to secure an end to the war with Iran through diplomacy, despite months of public claims that a peace deal with Tehran was within reach.

One Gulf official told the newspaper that resentment toward the US has hit its highest level since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.

'Trump started this war,' the official said, 'and we are paying the price.'

American Bases Come Under Question

For decades, Gulf states have relied on the US for weapons, training, intelligence and military protection. Washington, in turn, has maintained some of its most important regional bases across the Gulf. Officials are now reconsidering aspects of that security arrangement, according to the report.

Several governments are reportedly asking whether the American military presence provides the same security benefits if hosting US forces also leaves them exposed to Iranian retaliation. One Western diplomat said the presence of US forces had long been viewed by some governments as a reluctant necessity rather than an arrangement embraced without reservations.

'It was more something that was a necessary evil,' the diplomat said. 'Now, the necessity of it is being put in question.'

War Hits Gulf Economies

The conflict has placed heavy pressure on Gulf energy exporters. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the region's biggest energy exporters, but severe disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has restricted shipments and forced producers to rely more heavily on alternative export routes.

Before the war, about 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through the Strait of Hormuz, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global consumption. Saudi Arabia has since redirected some exports through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Since the fighting began, tanker traffic through Hormuz has fallen dramatically. Shipping data showed only five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday and none on Sunday, compared with more than 130 daily ship transits before the war.

Oil prices have also experienced sharp swings. Brent crude climbed above $100 (£73.90) a barrel in late July but had retreated to about $88.79 (£65.60) by Monday as markets weighed continuing supply disruptions against weaker demand.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also targeted shipping around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another vital route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian Ocean. Shipping through that waterway has also declined.

Allies Look Beyond Washington

Frustration with the US has coincided with efforts by regional powers to broaden their security ties. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan recently signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a mutual defence pact under which an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all three.

The agreement also establishes high-level political and military coordination and calls for joint exercises across land, sea, air and cyber operations. Turkey has stressed that the pact is not intended to replace its members' existing alliances.

A European official cited by The Washington Post reportedly viewed growing regional security cooperation as 'a signal to the US' that key regional states no longer view Washington as enough on its own.

'In their mind, the US is not enough,' the official said. Trump publicly welcomed greater defence cooperation among regional countries, portraying greater responsibility for their own security as consistent with his broader foreign policy approach.

Trump's Iran Strategy Faces Doubts

Officials and analysts cited by The Washington Post described growing concern among Gulf governments about Washington's handling of the conflict and its inability to secure a durable diplomatic settlement.

Some governments initially believed a short, decisive confrontation could weaken Tehran. That calculation reportedly shifted once it became clear Iran's government would not quickly collapse and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz could persist.

Those concerns remain particularly significant because the waterway is still operating at a fraction of its prewar capacity. Recent attacks on tankers have further reduced traffic, while negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.

The White House has rejected suggestions that ties with Gulf allies are fraying, insisting Trump maintains strong relationships across the region. But the accounts from Arab and Western officials suggest greater unease behind closed doors. Gulf states still depend heavily on US military support, yet some officials now fear that Washington's presence could expose them to retaliation as well as provide protection