When the United States waged the Gulf War in 1991, President George Bush boasted of building a vast coalition not seen for decades. When his son attacked Iraq in 2003, he faced sharp criticism but could rely on several steadfast allies.
A generation later, President Donald Trump attacked Iran, alongside Israel, which had long urged Americans to strike the religious leaders in power in Tehran, and he seeks almost no friendship.
His strategy towards other countries has been to pressure them to cooperate and to loudly complain when they refuse. The American president has criticized an essential ally, the United Kingdom, calling it “very, very uncooperative” and even said about Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “We’re not dealing with Winston Churchill here.”
He also threatened to “completely” end commercial relations with Spain after the left-wing Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, refused to let American forces use two of its bases in the south of the country.
The United States and Israel did not bother going through the United Nations before sparking the war that quickly led to the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme Iranian leader.
“This essentially sends the message to the world that Trump’s United States considers itself above the law and does not even consider pretending otherwise,” said Kristina Kausch, Deputy Director General of the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank.
This war only reinforces European perceptions of Trump, who surprised the continent by threatening to take over Greenland, territory of a NATO member, Denmark.
“The degree of US isolation or loss of soft power will depend on the seriousness of the consequences of this decision,” Ms. Kausch said about the attack on Iran.
Context: The article discusses President Donald Trump’s recent military actions against Iran and the international reactions to it.
Fact Check: The claims made about the countries and leaders involved in the conflict are accurate.
