Tensions in the Gulf region are escalating after unprovoked attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States, raising questions about regional security arrangements and the presence of US military bases. In his recent article for the Middle East Monitor, Thembisa Fakude highlights the call by former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani for a strategic defence alliance including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, describing it as an urgent response to shifting regional dynamics. To help us unpack these developments and their wider implications,  Thembisa Fakude, Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues and columnist with the Middle East Monitor