Patricia Marins<\/p>\n
In less than one hour after being hit by the US and Israel, Iran responded with surgical precision, striking 17 American installations across the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Successive waves of missiles and drones forced US troops to abandon their bases and scramble for shelter in luxury hotels, which, ironically, quickly became targets themselves.<\/p>\n
It has now been 12 straight days of continuous bombardment, with multiple waves every single day and no sign of fatigue.<\/p>\n
The strikes are not limited to the bases: they are hammering roads, airports, ports, hotels, and power plants.<\/p>\n
Evacuation orders exist on paper, but they are being carried out at a snail\u2019s pace, because security is nonexistent and far too many troops are still trapped under fire.<\/p>\n
Almost no one remains at the American bases anymore. Even the refueling aircraft that operated out of Saudi Arabia have been pulled out and relocated to Germany.<\/p>\n
The message to the Gulf countries is crystal clear: the US cannot even protect its own bases. You\u2019re on your own.<\/strong><\/p>\n The sense of invincibility that lasted for decades has been shattered.<\/p>\n Critical radars destroyed, interceptors running on fumes, bases bombed, Iranian missiles still launching, the Strait of Hormuz still closed, and Gulf allies left completely exposed.<\/p>\n All of this is being watched in real time by Asian countries that, until yesterday, were betting everything on American power to contain China. If the US couldn\u2019t defend the Gulf against Iran\u2026 what real chance do they have of protecting anyone against Beijing?<\/p>\n Up until February 28, American protection felt absolute. Today it feels like something else entirely.<\/p>\n The collapse of that decades-long myth of absolute security is the deepest and most lasting indirect effect of this war.<\/p>\n
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\nThe red light is flashing bright.<\/p>\n