Gulf states ditch US and China as Iran war enters sixth month

Gulf states are quietly building their own defence systems as the US-Israeli war on Iran drags into its sixth month, a shift that could test China’s long-standing policy of “involvement without commitment” in the Middle East. The conflict has forced Gulf leaders to accept a hard truth: neither Washington nor Beijing can shield them from Iranian attacks. On Wednesday, Tehran’s army warned that any “possible future war” with the United States could spread across the region, deepening fears among Gulf capitals. Analysts say the pivot toward self-reliant defence networks marks a strategic break from decades of relying on external protectors. For China, which has traded heavily with the Gulf while avoiding military alliances, the change poses a delicate challenge: how to keep economic ties without being drawn into a security role it has long refused. The coming months will show whether China can adapt to a Gulf that no longer trusts its old guarantors—or waits for no one.