British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf

In the aftermath of the 1956 Suez crisis, British policy-makers engaged in a long-running debate about the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining Britain's special role in the Gulf. Although British officials in the Gulf extolled the virtues of a continued presence, other voices, not least from the cost-conscious Treasury, questioned the need for maintaining Britain's military commitments. What appears to have swung the argument in favour of those who backed relinquishment was the related decision to withdraw from Aden which struck a severe blow against the long-term viability of Britain's presence in the Gulf