US Gulf Bases Face New Risks as Iran's 40-Year Rivalry Shifts to Missiles and Drones
Updated
Updated · thenews.pk · Jul 22
US Gulf Bases Face New Risks as Iran's 40-Year Rivalry Shifts to Missiles and Drones
3 articles · Updated · thenews.pk · Jul 22
Summary
US military installations in the Gulf are again being scrutinized as possible liabilities for host states, with the latest US-Iran confrontation highlighting how quickly they could become frontline targets.
Iran’s investment in ballistic missiles, armed drones, cyber tools and asymmetric tactics has eroded the protection once implied by fixed bases, allowing Tehran to threaten stronger adversaries without matching conventional force.
Recent Washington-Tehran exchanges reinforced that American bases could be among the first objectives in any wider escalation, exposing Gulf countries to security risks they do not fully control.
For Gulf states, the report argues, lasting security now depends less on installations alone than on pairing credible deterrence with sustained regional diplomacy.