Dr. Janice Stein

Not a single word.

And again, you know, and the majority were British, obviously, although there were Europeans there.

But if you look at Britain's historic relationships, where are they?

They're in the Gulf.

And so there were also people from the Gulf, Oman, Bahrain, at the meeting.

And

You know, it is the Gulf states who are left really exposed, caught in the middle of this, especially the smaller ones, not so much Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, but all the others, Oman, Bahrain, Dubai.

they're not big enough geographically to really be able to defend themselves and their whole model of the last 20 years is put at risk by this and what's going to them frankly Peter is that they don't feel their voices were heard by the White House at all and that they were given no consideration

to that, obviously.

You know, someone asked, is this the United States' Suez?

Right?

That refers to the Suez Crisis in 1956 when Britain and France, together with Israel, invaded Egypt after President Nasser had nationalized the Suez Canal, which the British, when it ran the world, had built.

in Egypt.

It was the imperial power.

And Dwight Eisenhower forced them back.

And so it was visible to the world that Britain's role as the leading power in the Middle East was over, if the president could force England back.

And Sir Anthony Eden, who was then the prime minister, resigned over it.

And so people are saying, is this war against Iran?

That kind of moment for the United States.

And I don't think it is.