WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- Discontent with the United States is mounting among its Persian Gulf allies amid concerns that President Donald Trump has failed to secure a diplomatic end to the prolonged war with Iran, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have grown increasingly critical of the Trump administration as the war—now in its sixth month—continues without a clear resolution, with anger toward Washington reaching its highest point since the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began in February.
“Trump started this war, and we are paying the price,” a Persian Gulf official told The Washington Post on condition of anonymity.
The war, launched on February 28, has since disrupted regional stability. Persian Gulf states find themselves caught in the crossfire of a war they did not choose but are forced to endure.
According to The Washington Post, some Persian Gulf countries have begun questioning whether continuing to host major U.S. military bases on their territory remains in their interests. Qatar and Bahrain host large U.S. military installations, while other Persian Gulf states have provided basing and overflight rights for U.S. operations.
A Western diplomat in the region cautioned that American forces were not “enthusiastically” welcomed even before the war began. “It was more something that was a necessary evil,” the diplomat said. “Now, the necessity of it is being put in question.” 
This growing unease comes as Trump has repeatedly threatened further aggression against Iran before pulling back from those threats, citing progress in diplomatic talks, while Washington and Tehran have yet to reach a final agreement.
Firas Maksad, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Eurasia Group, said U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf feel they have been dragged into an “unnecessary” war that Trump is now struggling to end.
Trump’s Iran policy has been widely described in the region as “erratic and unpredictable”. Anna Jacobs, a researcher at the Arab Persian Gulf States Institute in Washington, pointed to a “decline in trust” in the United States, saying Washington’s allies believe U.S. actions in the region are making them “less secure” rather than more secure.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has inflicted severe economic damage on Persian Gulf energy exporters. Saudi Arabia alone shipped over 5 million barrels of oil a day through the strait before the closure, which carried close to one-fifth of global oil supply, according to the International Energy Agency.
Tanker traffic through the strait has fallen by nearly 90% since the war began, and oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel as a result. Persian Gulf states have also faced direct Iranian missile and drone strikes against American assets, as well as attacks by Yemeni forces on Saudi energy infrastructure.
While Persian Gulf states remain dependent on Washington for security support—including military equipment, ammunition and intelligence—there are signs they are exploring alternative arrangements.
The recent mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan has been interpreted by a senior European official as “a message to the United States,” with the three Sunni-majority powers seeking to diversify their security partnerships because “in their view, the United States is not enough”.
CNN reported that as the war enters its sixth month, the U.S. administration’s list of war goals has “conspicuously shifted and been pared back”. Initial objectives had included complete Iranian surrender, regime change, permanent prevention of nuclear program, and ending Iran’s support for regional resistance groups.
Vice President JD Vance recently laid out just two remaining goals: maintaining energy price stability and ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon which Tehran has never pursued—signaling that the Trump administration may be preparing to settle for far less than its original ambitions.
A White House official rejected the assessment, saying Trump “has extraordinary relationships with all of our Persian Gulf partners” and that Washington has remained in regular contact with its regional allies since the conflict began.
Despite the official denials, the frustration across the Persian Gulf reflects a growing perception that the United States has entangled its allies in a costly war without a clear path to resolution—and that the region can no longer rely exclusively on Washington for its security.