Former Trump NSC official Allison Minor says Iran’s latest missile attacks on US forces and bases in the region have exposed weaknesses in the long-standing US security framework in the Gulf. Her argument is that the traditional model, centered on Washington as the main guarantor of regional protection, is under growing pressure.
According to Minor, the recent attacks show the limits of relying on an older security arrangement that has shaped US-Gulf relations for decades. Rather than treating the United States as the only backstop, she suggests policymakers should reassess how security responsibilities are shared across the region.
The alternative she outlines is a more regional system built around shared capabilities, closer integration and stronger coordination among Gulf partners, with the United States still involved but not carrying the entire burden alone. In that view, deterrence would depend less on a single external guarantee and more on a networked structure that regional states help sustain.
Her comments add to a broader Washington debate over how to respond to Iran while protecting American personnel and interests in the Gulf. The latest strikes have intensified questions about whether US strategy should continue to follow the old formula or shift toward a more collective security model.
