The Iran war is exposing the limits of Gulf defence dependence

The appearance of Chinese-made defence systems across the Gulf has attracted significant attention since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. Analysts have pointed to the deployment of Chinese counter-drone systems in the UAE and the growing prominence of Chinese unmanned platforms in regional arsenals as evidence that Beijing is gaining ground in a market long dominated by the United States. Yet focusing solely on Chinese hardware risks missing the larger lesson. The war has revealed less about China’s rise than about the vulnerabilities embedded within the Gulf’s existing security architecture. For decades, Gulf states have relied on the US for military protection, advanced weapons systems, software support, sustainment and operational integration. The conflict has highlighted the strengths of that model. […]