Merchants of rumors and conspiracy theorists, much like merchants of war, feed off people’s fears and anxieties. With the first shot fired in the current Middle East conflict, a wave of theories emerged. The most prominent being that the war is nothing more than a US strategic plan against China, aimed at controlling Gulf oil and its maritime routes. Another suggests that US President Donald Trump dragged the region into a devastating war and will eventually walk away, leaving Gulf states to face their fate.