Expulsion of US from the Persian Gulf?

Byline: Khurram Minhas

The killing of General Qassem Soleimani and subsequent Iranian careful response to the US strikes has potentially pulled out both countries from the brink of war. However, it seems clear that Iran has started a robust campaign to oust the US military from the Persian Gulf region. The Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei said that the 'military action alone is not enough and corrupt presence of the US in the region should come to an end'. Subsequently, the Iranian President and Foreign Minister have echoed the similar desire. The Iraqi parliament has voted to expel the US troops from Iraq, while the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah said that 'U.S. bases, warships and soldiers in the Middle East are all fair targets'.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are host of over 41,000 US troops in the region. According to publically declared figures, the US has 11 air bases and 5 naval bases in the Persian Gulf region. Al-Dhafra airbase in UAE is busiest US air base in the world for surveillance flights, while port of Jabel-e-Ali is busiest US naval port of the region. The U.S. 5th fleet is based in Bahrain, and patrols an area of responsibility covering the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb. According to estimates of RAND Corporation, the US spends US$ 100-150 billion annually per base.

There are competing narratives over the US presence in the region. Arab countries consider American presence in the region as prerequisite for the security and stability of the region. For Arab countries, the US presence in the region is meant to deter any threat against the US and allies emanating from Iran and its proxies. This is why these Arab countries have signed numerous agreements ensuring American presence in their respective countries. However, Iran has maintained since 1979 that the US presence in the region is destabilizing the regional security. Washington's sheer military might and involvement in security architectures of the region disturbs the security equilibrium of the region. This is why; Iran has often used public sentiment as a...