A senior Saudi official has ripped into the United States, claiming Washington ditched its Gulf allies during Iran’s massive missile barrage to focus on shielding Israel instead.
“The United States abandoned us and redirected its air defense to protect Israel,” the unnamed official told Al Jazeera. “They left all the Gulf states that host American military bases at the mercy of Iranian strikes.”
The explosive comments drop as Iran hammers US bases across the Middle East following Operation Epic Fury—the joint US-Israeli blitz that started February 28 and reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s retaliation has been brutal. Missiles and drones have slammed into American facilities in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Three US troops are already confirmed dead in Kuwait after a suspected drone strike hit their base.
Gulf leaders are fuming. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly told other GCC leaders that Iran’s response was actually “less intense than feared” and pushed for calm. But behind closed doors, Riyadh is allegedly seething that the US prioritized Israeli defense over protecting its own bases in the Gulf.
The optics are terrible. While US Patriot batteries helped Israel’s Iron Dome knock down Iranian projectiles over Tel Aviv, American-hosted bases in the Gulf took hits. Dubai airport got struck. Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base—home to thousands of US troops—absorbed missiles. Even Riyadh and Saudi Arabia’s key Prince Sultan Air Base weren’t fully spared.
Washington hasn’t directly addressed the abandonment claim. The White House keeps repeating that it’s committed to all allies and promises to “avenge” the dead American service members. But the damage to trust might already be done.
This is a rare public crack in the US-Saudi relationship. For decades, Gulf states have hosted massive US military footprints in exchange for security guarantees. Now those same bases look like targets while Israel gets the VIP protection treatment.
Online, the accusation has sparked fierce debate. Some see it as proof that Gulf states need to rethink their reliance on Washington. Others point out that Saudi defenses did intercept strikes on Riyadh and oil facilities—suggesting the kingdom isn’t totally defenseless.
As the conflict enters day five with no end in sight, one thing is clear: America’s allies are questioning whether the US has their backs when it really counts.
Follow on Google News
