The US-Israel aggression against Iran is bound to change the tectonic plates of world politics. It is expected that after the conclusion of this war a new world order may emerge by changing the political equations of all big and small countries. One expected change in the foreseeable future may be emergence of a new Middle East of more self-reliant, independent and assertive countries.
Most of the Middle East nations, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar have realised that they have been hoodwinked by the USA and other Western countries as their protectors and guarantors of security. In fact, the oil-rich and resource-rich Saudi Arabia has purchased US arms worth billions of dollars from America. Other countries also followed suit and were victims of a false sense of security. The only beneficiaries of huge arms purchase were the arms manufacturing lobbies of mainly America and other Western countries.
The SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) report gives estimates of arms purchase by GCC counties during the last 50 years (1975-2025).They are Saudi Arabia $250-300 billions, the UAE $120-150 billions, Qatar $60-80 billions, Kuwait $50-70 billions, Oman $30-40 billions, Bahrain $15-25 billions – total GCC countries approximately $525-665 billions.
Now Middle East countries are rethinking about the waste of their valuable resources on useless purchases of arms which failed to protect them. These huge amounts could have been successfully utilised for the comprehensive development of these countries and their respective populations. Mostly these stockpiles of weapons remained unutilised and wasted. Funds could have been used for development of poor Muslim countries and others like poor African countries. They could have brought about a sea change in the fortunes of the third world population.
The clash between US-Israel and Iran is a classical reproduction of the classic David-Goliath story. President Trump has been ditched by his NATO allies. He is now a disillusioned man who may eat the dust. We do not think that he would fall a prey to use the nuclear option, though Israel may goad him to use this option.
Let’s hope that the Middle East countries would adopt a sane approach and evolve a sound action plan of a united Middle East which may pose a challenge to their nuclear arch enemy – Israel, and to distant enemy – the US. Their salvation lies only in coordinating a united front against the closer and distant enemies, arms manufacturing lobbies and false protectors and exploiters. Let us wait and see how a new world order based on peace and justiceensuring universal welfare emerges from the ashes of the war.