US risks losing global influence over Iran war — Politico

From Bangladesh to Slovenia, fuel rationing has brought transportation to a standstill, sparking discontent among leaders forced to deal with the consequences of a war they did not want.

In Muslim-majority countries, the airwaves are filled with anti-American rhetoric, often with the tacit approval of governments.

Even America's NATO allies have limited their assistance to the US, with some emphasizing that the Trump administration did not consult with them before launching military operations against Iran.

"The war appears to be accelerating what some see as a US break-up with much of the rest of the planet since Trump returned to office and began flexing U.S. economic and military might in haphazard ways, including tariffs," the article states.

As one diplomat in Washington put it, "a lot of people are fed up with how chaotic this war has been and scared of the potential economic impact, but I haven’t seen any major protests in response."

"If a more reasonable person becomes the next president, the image of the US might improve, but for policymakers this raises some tough long-term questions about the alliance, how far we can go to stay aligned with the US and what we should do if we can’t rely on the US anymore," he says.

Foreign countries distancing themselves

Another sign of foreign nations distancing themselves was a statement by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a recent video address, he called his country’s economic ties with the US "weaknesses" that need to be corrected.

"We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner," emphasizes Carney, who has increasingly criticized Trump, partly due to his threats toward Greenland.

"We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbors. We can’t bet our future on the hope that it will suddenly stop," he adds.

Some former US officials explained that Trump’s constant vacillation regarding his goals in Iran does not inspire confidence.

"Allies don’t know what to believe, adversaries don’t know what to fear, and his own Cabinet do not know what his strategy or intentions actually are," says Thomas Wright, a former National Security Council staffer in the Biden administration.

"The long-term prognosis isn’t terminal. But the question is what China, Russia, North Korea and Iran do with the next two years and nine months if this drift continues," he notes.

In response to a request for comment, White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that Trump’s America First approach has led to better trade deals, expanded partnerships in the fight against drug trafficking, and increased defense spending by allies.

"World leaders have talked about the threat posed by Iran for 47 years, but no one had the courage to address it. Once all of our objectives are met, including eliminating Iran’s nuclear threat for good, the entire world will be safer, more stable, and better off," Kelly emphasizes.

Fewer allies on the battlefield

Tensions within America’s military alliances cannot be ignored as the war continues, the article states. In previous wars in the region, US presidents managed to rally even those allies who were reluctant to cooperate.

This included the Trump administration, which sought help in defending Israeli cities and civilian infrastructure from Iranian attacks last year.

This time, the Trump administration did not brief even its closest allies in advance and has not made any clear requests of them since then, the journalists report.

This had consequences. In response to the closure of the strait, the United Kingdom and France held several meetings with dozens of allied nations, but without US participation, to develop a plan to ensure the strait’s openness after the war ends.

The European initiative will focus on conducting defensive operations to protect commercial shipping, but the timeline and composition of the forces remain under development.

This comes as the European Union is also exploring ways to strengthen the bloc’s collective defense mechanism, Article 42.7, in case it is put to the test in response to threats from the Trump administration to seize Greenland by force.

However, the United States' defense ties around the world run deep and are difficult to sever, the article emphasizes.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to sever some of them (including withdrawing from NATO), but has not taken serious steps in that direction. Many countries, despite their dissatisfaction with Trump, still want to have US military power on their side.

Diplomatic setbacks

The war in Iran has also damaged America's reputation and influence in countries where US efforts to strengthen relations face stiff competition.

In an excerpt from a State Department cable, US diplomats in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, warned that "the conflict in Iran has led to the emergence of a persistent anti-American narrative in Tajikistan’s heavily constrained media environment as foreign actors deepen their influence and local outlets chase clicks and external funding."

The excerpt adds, "Our competitors are expending resources to ensure narrative dominance in a country that sits at the intersection of China, Afghanistan, Russia and Iran."

Similar dispatches from Bahrain, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan also describe the spread of anti-American sentiment and warn that in some cases, US security and diplomatic ties are at risk.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott shared a standard statement, "President Trump’s actions are making the United States, future generations, and the entire world safer by preventing the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That’s the reality, and the entire administration is lockstep in that effort."

Trump's actions in Iran have deepened the alienation of some allies that arose when he established a Board of Peace, conceived as a body to implement an agreement between Israel and Hamas, but which critics suspect was intended to replace the UN.

Hungary and Bulgaria were the only EU members to officially join the council. Other EU countries preferred to keep their distance, according to media reports.

However, Trump’s supporters argue that any current difficulties caused by the president’s actions in Iran will be justified in the long run.

Alexander Gray, a senior official in the National Security Council during Trump’s first term, stated that the decision to deal with Iran now will "pay dividends for future presidents."

US vs Iran

Recently, Donald Trump issued yet another round of threats against Iran. He stated that if the country does not agree to a peace deal, the US will attack all Iranian power plants and bridges.

In response, Iran stated that it does not recognize any ultimatums from the US and does not plan to transfer its enriched uranium to either the US or any other country.

According to Axios, a new round of negotiations between the US and Iran is scheduled for April 21. It is reported that US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Islamabad.