WASHINGTON, April 21. /TASS/. The war with Iran undermines US authority on the global stage and accelerates the rift in Washington’s relations with the rest of the world, Politico reported.
According to the newspaper, world leaders are forced to address issues such as fuel shortages and restrictions on the use of transport, thus dealing with the aftermath of a war they did not want. In many countries where the majority of the population is Muslim, anti-American sentiment now dominates, often with tacit approval from the authorities. Even the US' NATO allies are limiting their support of Washington, noting that the US administration did not deem it necessary to consult with them before the start of the military campaign against Iran, Politico emphasized.
"For policymakers, this [the war with Iran] 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," an unnamed Asian diplomat told the newspaper.
In turn, Thomas Wright, a former National Security Council official, pointed out that "allies don’t know what to believe, adversaries don’t know what to fear, and his [US President Donald Trump’s] own cabinet does not know what his strategy or intentions actually are." According to him, this "long-term prognosis isn’t terminal." The expert also noted that it is unclear what steps Washington’s geopolitical adversaries might take if the rift in US-allied relations continues during the remainder of Trump’s presidency.