The devastating war unleashed by the United States and Israel against Iran has stripped away long-held illusions about regional security. For decades, many states in the Middle East believed that hosting American military bases or aligning with Israel would guarantee stability. Today, those assumptions stand exposed. Instead of shielding the region from conflict, external alliances have drawn it deeper into turmoil, leaving Arab states, Iran, Turkiye, and others to confront the uncomfortable truth that reliance on outsiders has become a liability rather than a safeguard.

The presence of American forces across the Gulf was once seen as a protective umbrella. Thousands of troops stationed in sprawling bases were meant to deter aggression and reassure allies. Yet the current confrontation has shown that these facilities are not a shield but a target. Iranian strikes on American assets in the Gulf have demonstrated how hosting foreign forces can invite retaliation, while Washington itself has hesitated to intervene decisively, preoccupied with its own strategic recalculations. The promise of guaranteed protection has proven hollow.

Similarly, the Abraham Accords of 2020, which normalized ties between Israel and several Muslim states, were promoted as a pathway to peace and prosperity. In reality, they have emboldened Israel to dismiss the idea of a Palestinian state and pursue unilateral policies with little fear of backlash. For the signatories, the accords have brought no tangible security benefits. Instead, they have exposed these states to Iranian retaliation and deepened regional divisions. Recognizing Israel without securing justice for Palestinians has only compounded instability.

The immediate priority must be a ceasefire to halt the destruction and prevent the conflict from spreading further. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s warning that the region risks going up “in flames” captures the urgency of the moment. Yet beyond the ceasefire lies a larger challenge: the need for a new security framework designed and owned by regional states themselves. Durable peace cannot be outsourced to powers whose interests are shaped by arms sales and geopolitical competition rather than the welfare of the region’s people.

Regional actors must take responsibility for their own security. Iran, the Arab states, Turkiye, and others need to engage in direct dialogue, confronting territorial disputes, ideological differences, and historical grievances with a commitment to mutual respect and sovereignty. Only through collective responsibility can they build a system resilient enough to withstand external pressures. The example of the mutual defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia offers a potential model. Expanding such arrangements to include other states could lay the foundation for a cooperative security architecture rooted in shared interests rather than dependency.

History has repeatedly shown that relying on external powers to manage regional affairs leads to instability. From Cold War interventions to more recent conflicts, outside strategies have often produced chaos rather than control. The lesson is clear: true security must be built within the region, by the region. If Middle Eastern states can move beyond dependence and embrace collective responsibility, they may yet transform the current crisis into an opportunity for lasting peace.