The Hill News

A noticeable increase in tension between Iran and its neighbors demands closer defense and security cooperation between the United States and its key Arab partners in the region.  While the U.S. and its Gulf allies rightly continue to focus on diplomacy to hinder Iran’s nuclear ambitions, there is more that can be done between our defense establishments to achieve deterrence, and to be better prepared for any outcome.

For their part, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have invested varying degrees of resources to establish themselves as vital economic hubs, servicing the region and the global economy.  Further, each country has a community of American workers and the presence of U.S. military bases and personnel.  In addition to the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, each country’s economy increasingly depends on the unabated movement of international trade through their sea and air ports.

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