It was only six weeks ago that Donald Trump had to apologise to America’s NATO allies for his insensitive assertion that their troops “stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines” during their deployment to Afghanistan.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer was outraged – as he would be, given 457 British soldiers died fighting beside the US in that long campaign. Another 2000 military personnel and civilians were injured.
The American president was making the broader point that he wasn’t sure if the US could really rely on its NATO allies in the event of war, despite the mutual Article 5 guarantee in NATO’s constitution.
Attacking allies is a hallmark of this administration, whether it’s by tariffs, policy coercion, contemptuous rhetoric or other means.
It was on display again on Monday (Washington time) when War Secretary Pete Hegseth stuck the boot into the US’s “traditional allies” over the war in Iran, contrasting them with the “clear missions” of Israel.
“Capable partners are good partners – unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force,” Hegseth said.
The comment was widely taken to be directed at the Europeans, who were hesitant to endorse the US’s campaign, and in particular Britain, which initially blocked the US from using its bases.
Hegseth used the same speech to assure Americans and the world that the Iran operation would not be another Iraq. “Our generation knows better, and so does this president,” he said.
Endless wars were “dumb”, Hegseth said, but “this is the opposite”.
He might have stopped to consider that it could be those dumb wars of the past that give some allies pause for thought before automatically applauding American actions today.
In any case, it’s not like US allies have been cheerleading for Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The EU did not condemn the strikes, but urged “maximum restraint” and cautioned – as Hegseth does – against drawn-out war. Australia and Canada, in nearly identical sentences, said they supported US actions to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and posing a threat to peace.
Hegseth’s problem appears to be that America’s allies are not sufficiently enthusiastic about the whole thing, or haven’t bent the knee to worship at the US’s military prowess. But Hegseth’s fervour for such matters would be difficult for anyone to match.
When he is parodied by Colin Jost on Saturday Night Live, he is portrayed as an overgrown frat boy who loves biffo, tatts and playing shoot-’em-up video games. It’s not much different to the vibe he cultivates on his own social media feed.
Can America’s allies really stand to be lectured and shamed into supporting a war by a hot-head in his sophomore year who was, until this gig, the co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend?
It’s also not clear if Hegseth is fully plugged into Trump’s vision for this campaign. He insisted the mission’s objectives were defined and limited: destroy the missiles, destroy the navy, no nukes.
Trump speaks much more expansively, as is his wont. He entertains the idea of regime change. He casts the Islamic Republic as an existential threat. He muses that the fight could go “far longer” than four or five weeks – though he also says it could be shorter. Trump is not advocating endless war, but he’s not guaranteeing it will be short and sharp.
Starmer reportedly blocked the US from using Royal Air Force bases, such as the one on the island of Diego Garcia, in a pre-emptive strike because the UK feared the operation would contravene international law.
Hegseth told us exactly what little regard he has for “so-called international institutions” and “stupid rules of engagement”.
Starmer has now agreed to let Trump use the bases for “defensive” actions. His government says the equation has changed, and it’s now about protecting British lives.
Whatever the calculus, it can’t have helped Trump’s cause that his deeply offensive remarks about NATO soldiers are still fresh in Britons’ minds.
Being a good ally is a two-way street. The Trump administration may find out that, however righteous it believes its missions to be, it won’t be able to rely on support from friends who feel disrespected.
Read more on the US-Israel-Iran war:
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.