Gulf states must rethink trillion-dollar defences after US-Iran war, IISS report says

Summary

A study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies says Gulf states will have to reconfigure their trillion-dollar defences, given the damage inflicted on their economies and the questionable continued value of US bases in the face of Iranian attack. The report questions their overreliance on American support and their overdependence on expensive, high-end systems. It says that in the weeks before the 8 April ceasefire, 12 regional states, overwhelmingly in the Gulf, faced 4,670 Iranian one-way attack drones and more than 1,400 ballistic missiles, and nearly half were aimed at the United Arab Emirates. Although the vast majority were repelled, one estimate of the damage to energy infrastructure cited in the report is as high as $58bn (£43bn).

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   30 Oct 2026, 12:49 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies says Gulf states must reconfigure their trillion-dollar defences in light of the US-Iran war and the questionable continued value of US bases.