Trump told Gulf states: You pay the bill for America’s war against Iran
Trump truly doesn’t want to spend a single cent.
A few days ago, rumors circulated online that the U.S. intended for Arab nations to cover the military costs of a potential war with Iran—rumors now confirmed by the White House. On the 30th, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the issue, stating that this “is indeed one of Trump’s ideas,” and that he would be happy to convene these Arab nations to carry out such a task.
It must be said that Trump’s mental state is seriously questionable.
Historically, Arab nations have indeed had a “tradition” of sharing U.S. military expenses. The most typical example is the Gulf War from 1990 to 1991, when a U.S.-led multinational force expelled Iraq from Kuwait. In that conflict, Arab Gulf states represented by Saudi Arabia and the UAE covered over 80% of the total war cost.
Another case was in 2019, when the U.S. increased its military presence to protect oil fields from threats posed by Houthi forces; as an “exchange,” Saudi Arabia paid approximately $500 million in “initial compensation for troop deployment costs.”
However, in both cases, Arab Gulf states were willing to shoulder part of the military expenses because the U.S. at the time demonstrated tangible military guarantees—effectively serving as bodyguards and enforcers for Gulf countries. Now, however, the U.S. struggles even to fight Iran. Yet Trump still expects Gulf nations to generously fund another costly and uncertain war—this line of thinking is simply hard to respect.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861157504436363/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author