United Arab Emirates is no fragile mirage, it's a fortress oasis

With Operation Epic Fury, an old claim has resurfaced: that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf monarchies are weak, artificial states that will fail under pressure. This argument has been proven wrong every time it has been tested. It is being disproved again now, as Iranian ballistic missiles cross Gulf airspace, UAE defenses intercept most of them, and daily life continues below. At this point, the fragility thesis doesn’t need a rebuttal; it needs a thorough examination.

This...