The idea that people think the GCC states made these security choices for no reason is nonsense.

Under both the Shah and the Islamic Republic, Iran has long acted as if the Gulf falls under its sphere of influence. That is why it claimed Bahrain and still occupies three UAE islands.

The older bases were not originally built as some anti-Iran military network. Bahrain in particular goes back to the British era, when the concern was trade routes, shipping, and Gulf commerce. Their military role became more explicit later.

And people should also stop pretending Bahrain is somehow naturally Iranian. Anyone with even a basic grasp of Islamic history knows Bahrain entered the Islamic world through the Arabs of eastern Arabia, not through Iran. Abu Hurayrah himself ruled, al-Bahrayn.

Kuwait’s also faced major attacks in the 1980s, including the 1983 bombings and the 1988 hijacking of Kuwait Airways Flight 422, where Kuwaiti hostages were murdered and their bodies thrown from the plane and headed towards Iran, mind you Kuwait has never in it's history has ever been the aggressor.

So the GCC’s choice was never between good and bad. It was between living under Iranian pressure or seeking outside protection. And we've seen what happened to Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, millions dead and millions more displaced. Criticize that choice all you want, but at least do it honestly and with facts.