{"id":18535,"date":"2026-05-09T14:23:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T09:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/?p=18535"},"modified":"2026-05-09T14:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T09:42:09","slug":"trumps-iran-war-sparks-global-anxie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/2026\/05\/09\/trumps-iran-war-sparks-global-anxie\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Iran war sparks global anxiety as US alliances show signs of strain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trump\u2019s Iran war sparks global anxiety as US alliances show signs of strain<\/strong><\/h3>\n

President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s recent foreign policy decisions during the ongoing conflict with Iran are creating growing concern among America\u2019s traditional allies, raising fears that the United States may no longer be viewed as a dependable partner during international crises. From Europe to the Middle East and Asia, governments are increasingly questioning Washington\u2019s reliability as Trump continues to challenge long-standing alliances and reshape US global strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The conflict between the United States and Iran, now stretching into its tenth week, has already caused major political, military and economic consequences around the world. Although both sides appear to be moving cautiously toward a possible de-escalation, analysts believe the deeper impact of the war may be the damage done to America\u2019s relationships with its allies.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s recent actions \u2014 including withdrawing thousands of US troops from Germany, threatening military reductions elsewhere in Europe, and appearing indifferent to Iranian attacks on Gulf partners \u2014 have alarmed many countries that traditionally relied on American support and protection.<\/p>\n

European Allies Increasingly Frustrated<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tensions between Washington and European capitals have worsened dramatically since the United States joined Israel in launching strikes against Iran on February 28. Trump justified the attacks by claiming Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon, though critics argued that no solid evidence was publicly presented to support the claim.<\/p>\n

Iran responded aggressively, including by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world\u2019s most important oil shipping routes. The closure triggered a global energy crisis, sending fuel prices soaring and hitting European economies particularly hard. Many European leaders privately expressed frustration that they were suffering economic damage from a war they neither supported nor initiated.<\/p>\n

The situation deteriorated further when Trump announced the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany, reducing the American military presence there from approximately 36,400 personnel. The move reportedly came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly suggested that Iran had managed to embarrass the United States during the conflict.<\/p>\n

In another controversial step, the Pentagon cancelled plans to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany. Trump also hinted that troop reductions could soon follow in countries such as Italy and Spain, whose leaders have reportedly disagreed with his handling of the war.<\/p>\n

NATO Under Pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s strained relationship with NATO has become even more pronounced during the conflict. For years, he has questioned the value of the alliance and criticized member states for not contributing enough to collective defence.<\/p>\n

Now, Trump has suggested that countries unwilling to fully support US military operations against Iran should not expect guaranteed American protection under NATO\u2019s Article 5 mutual defence clause \u2014 the principle stating that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.<\/p>\n

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended Trump\u2019s position, saying the president was disappointed that several European governments refused requests allowing US forces broader use of military bases during operations connected to the Iran war.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly lashed out at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, mocking him publicly and threatening heavy tariffs on British imports. Reports also suggest that the Pentagon considered punitive measures against NATO allies seen as uncooperative, including reviewing Britain\u2019s claim to the Falkland Islands and even discussing Spain\u2019s standing within NATO.<\/p>\n

Europe Moves Toward Greater Independence<\/strong><\/p>\n

The growing uncertainty surrounding American leadership is now pushing European nations to strengthen their own defence cooperation. Governments across the continent are accelerating discussions about developing independent military capabilities, increasing defence spending, and reducing reliance on US weapons systems.<\/p>\n

Diplomats say many European leaders now believe Trump\u2019s threats are a warning that Europe must become more self-sufficient in security matters. However, experts caution that replacing American military support would take many years due to Europe\u2019s dependence on US strategic deterrence against potential threats from Russia.<\/p>\n

Despite the tensions, European leaders continue trying to maintain workable relations with Trump. Several countries have quietly highlighted that they still permit US military operations from bases located on European soil. However, analysts note that European officials are becoming increasingly aware of Trump\u2019s negotiating tactics and are more willing than before to openly challenge him.<\/p>\n

Jeff Rathke, president of the American-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said Chancellor Merz no longer appears interested in hiding European criticism of Washington\u2019s actions in the war.<\/p>\n

At the same time, European diplomats are concerned that Trump \u2014 unable to seek another term after January 2029 \u2014 may feel politically unconstrained and therefore willing to take even more unpredictable actions on the world stage.<\/p>\n

Gulf States Uneasy Over US Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

The war has also unsettled America\u2019s Gulf allies. When Iran launched missile and drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates, many regional governments expected a strong American response. Instead, Trump appeared to minimize the attacks, calling one major strike \u201cminor\u201d despite damage to the important Fujairah oil port and emergency school closures.<\/p>\n

Some Gulf states fear that Trump could eventually negotiate a deal with Iran that leaves the region vulnerable to future aggression. Although several Arab governments publicly aligned themselves with Washington after the conflict began, private concerns about US reliability have reportedly increased.<\/p>\n

Asian Allies Fear Future Uncertainty<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Asia, countries such as Japan and South Korea are also watching developments closely. Both nations depend heavily on Middle Eastern oil supplies and have already faced tensions with Trump over trade tariffs and his criticism of traditional alliances.<\/p>\n

Some officials worry that Trump\u2019s concern over rising domestic fuel prices and economic pressure may make him reluctant to confront China in a future crisis, particularly regarding Taiwan.<\/p>\n

Former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya warned that trust and confidence in the United States are gradually weakening across the region. He said the decline in faith toward America could cast a \u201clong shadow\u201d over Asia\u2019s future security environment.<\/p>\n

Former Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura argued that Tokyo should deepen ties with other \u201cmiddle powers\u201d such as Britain, Canada, Australia and European countries in response to shifting global power dynamics.<\/p>\n

China and Russia Watching Closely<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although both Russia and China have largely stayed out of direct involvement in the Iran conflict, analysts believe both countries are carefully studying the situation for strategic advantage.<\/p>\n

Russia has benefited economically from rising oil and gas prices caused by the war and from Western attention being diverted away from Ukraine. Meanwhile, China may be learning military lessons from the conflict, especially regarding the effectiveness of inexpensive drone warfare and the challenges faced by even the world\u2019s most powerful armed forces.<\/p>\n

Beijing has also used the crisis to portray itself as a more stable and predictable global partner compared to Trump\u2019s increasingly confrontational foreign policy. Trump is expected to visit China next week, making relations between the two powers especially important.<\/p>\n

However, Victoria Coates, who served as Trump\u2019s deputy national security adviser during his first term, rejected claims that China could easily use the war to present the United States as a destabilizing force. She argued that Beijing itself had not strongly supported its ally Iran during the conflict.<\/p>\n

A Defining Moment for America\u2019s Global Role<\/strong><\/p>\n

While it remains uncertain whether the Iran conflict will permanently reshape America\u2019s position in the world, many experts believe the damage to US alliances could have lasting consequences.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s critics argue that his unpredictable approach, aggressive rhetoric and willingness to pressure allies are weakening decades-old partnerships that formed the backbone of American global influence after World War Two.<\/p>\n

As allies reassess their dependence on Washington and adversaries search for opportunities to expand their influence, the war with Iran may ultimately be remembered not only for the fighting itself, but for accelerating a historic shift in the global balance of power.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: Reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump\u2019s Iran war sparks global anxiety as US alliances show signs of strain President Donald Trump\u2019s recent foreign policy decisions during the ongoing conflict with Iran are creating growing concern among America\u2019s traditional allies, raising fears that the United States may no longer be viewed as a dependable partner during international crises. From Europe to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2297,2299],"tags":[3775],"class_list":["post-18535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-world","tag-donald-trump-usa"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18535"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18540,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18535\/revisions\/18540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}