FRANCE 24Iran proving that missiles don’t need to travel thousands of kilometres. Across the Gulf is all it takes to force the world’s mightiest army to the bargaining table. Pressure on the choke point for one-fifth of the planet’s oil and gas exposing the vulnerability of Arabian peninsula monarchies. They’d spent decades building reputations as reliable havens of stability fueled by an endless supply of petrodollars.
We’ll track the price of crude, the latest movement of tankers through the Strait…prospects for talks, and ask how Gulf states could rethink their alliances with Washington, particularly investments that can sometimes seem like protection money to pay for the US defense shield from Tehran and proxies like the Houthis that in the past already hit oil installations.With Russia and now China accused of actively aiding Iran target neighbors, where do those Gulf states turn for their defense? Are they all of the same mind when it comes to Iran? And more broadly, can they restore the veneer of the dream destinations displayed by social media influencers who fled when the fighting started?
