Of all the Western and Asian capitals asked to participate in an “anti-Iran” coalition, Donald Trump ultimately did not obtain support only from South Korea, whose means of projection in the Persian Gulf are limited. At the same time, the initiative launched by Jeremy Hunt, then Foreign Minister of Great Britain, to protect Western merchant ships in the same region, obtained, within a few days, formal support from France, Italy and Denmark, while Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain have announced their support for the initiative, in particular by air means, despite Brexit.
If the European initiative could be called into question following the arrival of Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street, the difference in response between the two initiatives clearly marks a marked weakening of support from Europeans, but also from countries in the Indo- peaceful, to the American ally. Because at the same time, a few months ago, Australia initiated the gathering of allied countries in the area around the concept of defense and cooperation, without inviting the United States.
The distancing of US allies from White House initiatives has several causes, although all linked, or exacerbated, by US President Donald Trump. For the Europeans, it is above all a question of trying to preserve, as much as possible, what can be preserved from the agreement on the Iranian Nuclear, which aimed to lift certain economic sanctions affecting the country in exchange for the guarantee not to develop military nuclear program. It is, therefore, impossible for Europeans to join a coalition with the country which is at the origin of the current tensions, when it withdrew from the agreement, which reestablished sanctions against Tehran, and which threatens of extraterritorial sanctions against countries and companies that continue to try to apply this agreement.
For Australians, but also Japanese, South Koreans and Indonesians, it is a question of distancing themselves from Washington's positions vis-à-vis Beijing, particularly in terms of economic and customs sanctions, the economies of countries in the area Indo-Pacific region being obviously very dependent on the Chinese economy.
The diplomatic emancipation of these countries vis-à-vis Washington will, however, quickly reach its limits, coming up against operational and economic realities, such as the dependence of European forces on logistical support and American intelligence, and that of countries in the Pacific zone to US deterrence. And it is indeed with this certainty that Donald Trump and his administration allow themselves to take increasingly excessive and sometimes outrageous positions and declarations which, coming from any other head of state or government , would have caused repeated diplomatic incidents. It is up to Europeans to develop their strategic autonomy to rebuild healthier and more balanced relations with Washington, and therefore with Moscow and Beijing. You still have to have the will...