The Week
For three years, President Trump has tried to disentangle the United States from the burdens of world leadership. This week, it appears he has succeeded.
One of the most notable aspects of the crisis between the United States and Iran is how little the international community rallied to America’s side. Yes, Israel’s government applauded the president for “acting forcefully” in the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, but many other traditional U.S. allies were at least a bit muted in their responses, and a few actively distanced themselves.
The government of Iraq voted to cast out American troops. Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, said he wouldn’t “lament” Soleimani’s death, but joined other European leaders in calling on both sides to stop the escalation of violence. Saudi Arabia sent a delegation to Washington, D.C., asking the president to pull back from the brink of war. And while Israel offered its public support to the U.S., Netanyahu also reportedly told his cabinet that “the assassination of Soleimani isn’t an Israeli event but an American event. We were not involved and should not be dragged into it.”
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