Persian Gulf states hosting US bases true losers in US-Israeli war against Iran: Ex- diplomat

By Alireza Kamandi

The US-Israeli military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran has put pressure on Arab states of the Persian Gulf that host US military bases, who find themselves in the most vulnerable and precarious position, says a former Egyptian diplomat.

In an interview with Press TV website, Abdallah Alashal, a former Egyptian deputy minister for foreign affairs, said the Persian Gulf countries are the real losers in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

He said while Washington and Tel Aviv have wrongly framed their actions as necessary for regional security, the Persian Gulf Arab nations are paying the heaviest price – caught between their alliance with the United States and the consequences of a wider war with Iran.

"The Arab states hosting American bases are the clear losers in the current US-Israeli aggression against Iran," the former Egyptian diplomat said, adding that the regional countries must recognize that foreign bases fundamentally undermine their own national security.

He emphasized that these Arab countries find themselves in a difficult position as they can neither guarantee their own safety nor dare to strike Iran.

He said their territory has become a potential battleground, yet they lack both the military capability and political will to control events, referring to the Arab states that allowed the US-Israeli coalition to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The United States, Alashal noted, despite its advanced military technology, has proven unable to fully protect its own bases in the region – let alone ensure the security of its Persian Gulf hosts, which leaves them exposed and powerless.

On what many international relations scholars say is Iran emerging as a fourth global superpower after delivering painful blows to both the US and Israel during the 40-day war, he said the results would be drastic and limitless in that case.

"In this scenario, the Israeli regime could be dismantled – much like the Soviet Union – and removed from the map, with the entire region liberated by Iran. Iran would first become a superpower relative to the Arab states, shifting the balance of power dramatically," he said.

He noted that Iran is defending Islam against "arrogant powers" – the US and Israel.

"Israel is described as a political regime built on lies that have now been exposed to the world. Following Iran's victory, international relations across the region would fundamentally change, and Arab rulers would lose their political function entirely," he stated.

"Conversely, if the US and Israel defeat Iran, the outcome would be catastrophic for Arab states—perhaps even more so than for Iran itself. Arab nations would find themselves with even less sovereignty than they have today. American influence would become the main source of Arab subjugation. The region would then face the emergence of a 'Greater Israel.'"

However, if Iran wins the war, the United States will lose Israel as its primary tool for aggression and for controlling subservient Arab rulers, he noted.

"In that case, the entire strategic framework of West Asia would be rewritten. Moreover, the West would eventually realize that true security lies with Iran – not with its traditional allies. The Arabs, in turn, would establish good relations with a victorious Iran, abandoning their former patrons," the former Egyptian diplomat told Press TV website.

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