Gulf Arab states are exploring new security options after U.S. military bases failed to deter Iranian attacks during six months of war. Iran and its allies have nearly destroyed U.S. bases, set luxury hotels ablaze, and knocked offline Saudi Arabia's critical East-West oil pipeline. Bahrain, host to a major U.S. naval base for decades, saw the base nearly destroyed in February on the first day of Iran's retaliatory strikes. Most sailors were evacuated to Florida, leaving a skeleton crew, and the U.S. Navy is still reuniting personnel with belongings, according to Adm. Daryl Caudle.

A scheduled meeting between Iran and Gulf Arab states was postponed Sunday after Saudi Arabia and Iran reached an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial energy route. Analysts say the war has exposed Gulf vulnerabilities and emboldened Iran. "We're stuck in this position of trying to build something new while maintaining some of the old," said Bader Al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University. "We need to snap out of this external protector syndrome."

Despite spending hundreds of billions on advanced weaponry including F-15 fighters and Patriot systems, Gulf militaries remain smaller and weaker than Iran's. China and Russia have not stepped in to defend them. Officials call for greater regional self-sufficiency, but efforts to bolster regional defense cooperation remain incomplete.