We would end up in a long historic debate of chicken or egg first. The bases are indeed to protect Israel but also not to discount Iran, in its revolutionary zeal after 1979, had regional ambitions. Back then, without the Americans to protect the GCC Arabs, Iran would have probably subjugated several of those Arab countries. Would I mind that? Not necessarily if that would lead to a liberation of Palestine. But to the eyes of the Arab countries, Iran would be an imperialist power, just like they saw the Ottoman Turks as imperial power over a century ago.
It's all water under the bridge, of course! Going forward, as Trita Parsi said on Wire/Karan Thapar yesterday, if Iran even survives this war, it would be a 'victory' and he foresees a major realignment in the Middle East where the Arab countries would embrace Iran as a regional partner in trade/commerce. And, of course, that's a nightmare for the Americans and the Israelis.
This war is the most pivotal war of our life!
