The United States‘ main allies are abandoning Trump over his ‚dangerous escalation‘ with Iran

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The US’s European allies on Friday warned against further escalation with Iran after President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

The UK said that further conflict „is in none of our interests.“

Germany also warned of a „dangerous escalation.“

The US government decided to go ahead with the airstrike late Thursday without informing its European partners, which angered some allies, BuzzFeed News reported.

„The purpose of having allies is that we can surprise our enemies and not each other,“ Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC.

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US allies on Friday warned against any further escalation of the conflict with Iran following President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani late Thursday.

The airstrike, which was reportedly launched without consulting US allies, led to warnings from several European nations, with only Israel speaking out strongly in favor of Trump’s decision.

The global reaction to the attack has revealed the US as increasingly isolated on the world stage.

UK warns that a war with Iran ‚is in none of our interests‘

Foto: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Trump.sourceGetty

Among the first to react was the United Kingdom, historically the closest ally of the United States.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said in a statement on Friday that conflict with Iran „is in none of our interests“ and urged „all parties to de-escalate.“

Raab’s predecessor Jeremy Hunt, told the BBC on Saturday that Trump was engaging in an „increasingly dangerous game of chicken“ with Iran, with both sides doing „increasingly extreme things.“

The attack risks damaging relations between the two countries.

Tom Tugendhat, Raab’s Conservative Party colleague and the chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC that „the purpose of having allies is that we can surprise our enemies and not each other.“

He added that „it’s been a pattern, sadly, which has been a bit of a shame, that the US administration of late has not shared with us and that is a matter of concern.“

„I would urge the US administration to share much more closely with allies, particularly those who are fighting alongside in the region, including us.“

Hunt agreed, saying that it was „regrettable“ that the UK had not been consulted about the strike.

„It is regrettable as one of the US’s closest allies,“ he said.

„It’s an important aspect that there are no surprises in that relationship.“

One complicating factor for the UK is the imprisonment in Iran of the UK citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on allegations of espionage.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s actions have been blamed for her ongoing detention, and he has promised to intervene in the case to end it.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told ITV’s „Good Morning Britain“ on Friday that he feared Trump’s action could worsen her chance of being freed.

„I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran, where they’re all really worried,“ he said.

France warns of the danger of unilateral action

Foto: French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump meet in London on December 3.sourceLudovic Marin/Reuters

France, alongside the UK and other European countries, was instrumental in attempts to forge and maintain a new relationship with Iran through the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

It has strongly criticized Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw from that deal, and the French government on Friday also called on the Trump administration to step back from any further conflict.

The secretary of state for European affairs, Amélie de Montchalin, told a French radio station that any unilateral action by the US was dangerous.

„What is happening is what we feared: Tensions between the United States and Iran are increasing,“ Montchalin told RTL, according to Reuters.

She added, according to The Guardian, that „at European level, we have to work in collective multilateral frameworks and prevent the powers, one against the other, from playing their game in an unpredictable manner.“

Foto: Trump talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 summit in July 2017.sourceAP Photo/Evan Vucci

The German government laid the blame for the crisis firmly at Tehran’s door.

„The American action was a reaction to a series of military provocations for which Iran is responsible,“ a spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer, said on Friday, according to Reuters.

However, she warned against any further conflict, telling reporters, „We stand before a dangerous escalation.“

Israel stands alone in praising Trump

Foto: Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in March.sourceCarlos Barria/Reuters

Among the leading US allies, Israel was alone in offering its full backing of Trump’s action.

In a statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that „just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right.“

Soleimani „is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people,“ Netanyahu said. „He was planning more such attacks.“ He added: „President Trump deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively. Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense.“

oldcreaker on January 5th, 2020 at 17:06 UTC »

You mean all the allies that Trump called "foes"?

wogsy on January 5th, 2020 at 16:30 UTC »

Reminds me of a quote from one of my favourite documentaries ever. The fog Of War. Its when Robert S McNamara is talking about his regrets over Vietnam and how they should never have been there in the first place. About how none of their allies supported them in their invasion.

"We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe that we should ever apply that economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldn't have been there. None of our allies supported us. Not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France. If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning" ~ Robert S. McNamara

EDIT> thanks for the gildings and all the replies. Im having a lot of fun reading all the discussion my post has provoked. I'm personally learning a lot from you guys. Like i never knew France was fighting in Vietnam before the americans were. I find discussion like this super interesting. Thank you all for contributing. And to anyone who wants to watch The Fog Of War here ya go https://documentaryheaven.com/the-fog-of-war/

It's undoubtebly in my top 5 documentaries of all time. And i watch a lot of docs. Ive probably seen it at least 8 times. I hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

Girfex on January 5th, 2020 at 15:31 UTC »

Good, they should get out before he abandons them to get killed.