By Li Haidong

The spillover effects of the nearly three-week-long conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran are translating into tangible pressures for multiple countries. The US has been urging its allies to assist in restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the restrained responses of its allies, who have kept a certain distance, have caused frustration in Washington. This situation reflects deepening doubts among US allies about Washington's decision-making and strategic capabilities, while their sense of insecurity and anxiety over their own safety is becoming increasingly pronounced.

The collective indifference and anxiety among US allies are by no means accidental. Their roots lie in the erosion of the foundations of US leadership and a structural shift in Washington's approach toward its allies. From historical commitments to present-day actions, the US has suffered multiple setbacks in terms of capability, credibility, and strategic consistency, which fundamentally shakes the traditional logic underpinning its alliances.

First, there is a clear inverse relationship between US leadership and allied loyalty. The security anxiety of the allies toward the US is deepening. For a long time, the foundation of US global leadership has rested on its strong capabilities and security commitments to allies, sustained through an alliance system led by Washington. However, over the past two decades, the strategic setbacks the US encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan have already exposed signs of declining strength. In the current conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, Washington's hasty redeployment of military resources from Europe and Asia to reinforce the Middle East not only reveals its indifference to the security concerns of its allies, but also highlights the strain of "robbing Peter to pay Paul" in its force allocation.

Frequent remarks within US political circles that portray allies as burdens, or even show disregard for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, have prompted allies to reassess their traditional reliance on US security guarantees and to adopt more autonomous defense measures. Countries such as Canada have called for middle powers to jointly build a new international order, while Germany and France are vigorously advancing European strategic autonomy. National defense policies are increasingly taking on a more nationally driven orientation. Allies that once identified with US power and the so-called Western order are now more openly resisting Washington's demands, as the legitimacy of US leadership continues to erode. Meanwhile, weaker allies are urgently seeking new security anchors, with their sense of insecurity becoming ever more evident.

Second, the weakening of the alliance security protection has rapidly exposed the vulnerabilities of US allies. The exploitative and arbitrary nature of US strategy toward its allies has further eroded their strategic trust in Washington. The fundamental purpose of alliances is to obtain security guarantees, yet the US is not only imposing tariffs on multiple countries, but also weaponizing technology to force allies to relocate key industries to the US, effectively treating them as objects to be exploited at will. As a result, allies are increasingly coming to view the US as a disruptor.

The significant swings in US foreign strategy have further deepened the trust deficit among its allies. Over the past decade, US strategic priorities have shifted repeatedly, from counterterrorism, to the Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific Region, to the so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy, and now to a new focus on the Western Hemisphere and the homeland. Each shift has largely been a reactive adjustment following major setbacks. These repeated strategic failures and abrupt changes have continually unsettled US allies, leaving those long accustomed to the protection of American hegemony unprepared. In the face of such uncertainty, they are being forced to explore alternative ways to ensure their security beyond reliance on the US. The growing consensus that security cannot depend solely on the US is thus emerging among allies.

Third, the longstanding US practice of abandoning allies once they have served their purpose, along with the often unfavorable fate of its partners, continues to intensify their sense of anxiety. The history of how the US has treated its allies is marked by instances of betrayal and abandonment, leading to recurring crises within the alliance system and a growing record of allies being treated as expendable.

In the current conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, the generally lukewarm response of allies to Washington's calls for joint escort operations precisely reflects their sober recognition of this tragic pattern in US alliance policy.

Former US Secretary of State Kissinger once incisively remarked, "It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." Those words remain vivid and sobering. Amid the protracted US-Israel war on Iran, allies are increasingly skeptical of Washington's so-called security assurances and have grown more indifferent to its calls for cooperation. Only by accelerating the development of strategic autonomy and securing genuinely equal and independent status can US allies alleviate their deep-seated security anxieties.

(The author is a professor of the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University)

Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.