# alliance credibility

When Washington Looks East to the Gulf: How the Middle East Crisis Is Exposing U.S. Alliances in Asia

The U.S. diversion of air‑defence systems and ships to the Persian Gulf has exposed limits in American alliance guarantees, unsettling South Korea and Japan. The episode underscores the strategic dilemma facing Asian partners: reliance on U.S. forces can create capability gaps and increase political and physical exposure, prompting moves toward greater self‑reliance and regional security reorganisation.