"The past 48 hours have only deepened the confusion among once-stalwart allies. Conversations with several officials since Trump told Fox News that the war would end when he felt it "in my bones" paint a picture of bewilderment and shock. No one seems ready to rally to his call to deploy scant resources to help reopen the virtually shut Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for a fifth of global oil and a large share of liquefied natural gas."
"The US president's ever-shifting explanations for why he went to war leave friends and adversaries at a loss to forecast when he'll be ready to stop. And even if he does, Iran has shown little willingness to go along. Trump has gone from declaring the war over soon to calling on European and Gulf allies to help. They're reluctant, and the likes of Russia are benefiting."
"Even Japan, which rarely wants to appear out of lockstep with the US, said through a senior official that efforts to escort ships face "high hurdles." That amounts to a polite "no" that reverberates across countries the US failed to consult on the war that it launched Feb. 28 and is now set to last several weeks."
The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has entered its third week with mounting pressure on President Trump to define an exit strategy. Trump's inconsistent explanations for the war's purpose and duration have left both allies and adversaries uncertain about his intentions. During a Group of Seven call, European leaders repeatedly pressed Trump for clarity on his endgame, but he declined to discuss specific objectives. Trump's recent statement that the war would end when he felt it "in my bones" deepened confusion among traditional allies. European and Gulf nations show reluctance to support Trump's request for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, countries including India, Turkey, and Japan are independently negotiating with Iran for safe passage, undermining unified allied action.
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