DOHA, July 29. /TASS/. The United States has proved to be an unreliable security partner for the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, prompting them to diversify their defense partnerships, Mehran Kamrava, a professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told TASS.

"The US has consistently proven itself to be an unreliable security partner, not just under Trump but also previously. The current conflict has proven that America’s national security concerns, not the security concerns of the Persian Gulf states, are its primary concerns," he pointed out when asked whether the Arab monarchies continued to rely on US security guarantees amid the ongoing crisis.

Kamrava expects the Gulf nations to make three changes to their security architecture: "complement the American security umbrella with additional security partnerships with states like Turkey, Pakistan, and South Korea; to further develop their own security and military industries, as the UAE is doing with South Korea; and to deepen their partnership with the US, as the Saudis and Emiratis are doing."

Speaking about the conflict's outlook, the expert pointed to differences in the strategies pursued by Tehran and Washington. "The US is keen to avoid another "forever war" whereas Iran plays the long game. We will have to wait and see which one of these scenarios will characterize the next few years," the political scientist explained.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, striking Tehran and other major Iranian cities. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation targeting sites in Israel, while US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also came under attack. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts. Tensions flared again in early July after a Qatari gas carrier and a Saudi oil tanker came under fire on July 7. The following day, the United States resumed airstrikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to renew attacks on US facilities in the Middle East. On July 24, the two sides announced a halt to their strikes.