{
  "id": 6284641,
  "title": "The Iran war tested the Gulf’s multipolar strategy, but it did not end it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/the-iran-war-tested-the-gulfs-multipolar-strategy-but-it-did-not-end",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2026/09/08/gulf-iran-war-us-china-europe-india-asia-multipolar-strategy-security-energy-economy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Iran war highlighted the Gulf's multipolar strategy but did not end it. The strategy involved maintaining a close security partnership with the US while expanding economic ties with China, India, Europe and other Asian nations. When the crisis turned military, the US quickly returned to the center of the regional security equation, but no other outside power can match its security capabilities. The war did not reverse the economic changes that had already taken place, with China remaining central to Gulf energy and trade, India's role growing quickly, and Europe still important in investment, technology, defence and commerce. The region's economic relationships are now more dispersed than its security relationships, leading to a strategic tension: maintaining close security ties with the US while expanding economic and technological relationships elsewhere. China-GCC trade exceeded $288 billion in 2024, while trade between India and the Gulf states reached almost $179 billion in the 2024-2025 financial year. Energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz are now largely directed towards Asian markets. While security still depends on Washington, economic growth is increasingly tied to Asia. The Gulf remains strategically important, but its protection in wartime is not guaranteed. The debate over Gulf security needs to focus on the region's ability to absorb disruption when protection is incomplete, such as infrastructure recovery, alternative shipping routes, and energy facility operation. Technology has added complexity, with competition between the US and China potentially impacting middle countries through technical demands on access to advanced chips, cybersecurity standards, and data-sharing requirements. Even if a country reduces its dependence on one partner, its overall dependence may remain high. Effective strategic autonomy is about having multiple sources for security, technology, markets, and supply chains, rather than simply shifting dependencies between actors.",
  "summary": "For several years, Gulf states have been widening the circle of their international partnerships. The logic was straightforward: keep the US as the principal security partner, while building deeper economic ties with China, India, Europe and the rest of Asia. The Iran war has meant that strategy needs a review . When the crisis turned military, the US quickly returned to the centre of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}