Rented power, borrowed strength: The illusion of Gulf power in war

There is increasing talk of Gulf monarchies entering a war with Iran. This prospect invites not admiration but scrutiny. It would expose, in stark and unforgiving terms, the difference between purchased power and actual capacity. Frankly, a cynic of these regimes might be tempted to welcome such a development. It would strip away the carefully curated illusion that wealth can substitute for competence, spectacle for strength, and dependency for stability. It would force the harder question of what these regimes can actually do when confronted with real conflict. For decades, they have cultivated systems that appear formidable on the surface but are hollow at their core. What, in real terms, would they contribute? These are not societies organised around production, […]