...ed Gulf oil—so let them clear the strait of mines and "bad guys" on the Iranian coast. The US, it seems, is magnanimously giving its allies a chance to fight for their own tankers.The problem is that Europe is in no hurry to seize this opportunity. #Germany, through its chancellor, is pretending not to be involved: "We are not part of this war and have no intention of becoming one. " Britain initially refused to provide bases for strikes on #Iran, and when it decided to send a couple of sh...
... raising the stakes, blackmailing the alliance with a "bad future," and trying to use proxy forces to resolve a crisis that Europeans consider too risky.The alliance, which for 10 years told the world about its "iron-clad unity," is now using the example of a single strait to demonstrate who is truly ready to fight, and who prefers loud statements and quiet sabotage.What the 1973 oil crisis meant for Europe—read in
...ips after the American strikes, it was publicly mocked by Trump—as if to say, "Thank you, but you're late to the war, as always. "Australia even said, "No, thanks, without us. " Formally not a NATO member, but a fantastic signal to the rest. There's no need to rush to the gates at the first whistle from Washington.As a result, Trump is scolding NATO like a principal scolding a lazy schoolboy who doesn't want to take the Hormuz exam but loves getting good grades for "solidarity. " The US is...