, Columnist
The Iran War Is Drawing Some Allies Closer to the US
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is enthusiastic about the US alliance.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
The war in the Persian Gulf has been jarring for nearly all countries, not least America’s closest friends. The conflict has brought economic fallout for allies and partners, and raised painful questions about their relationships with the US.
Yet as I learned on trips to Europe, East Asia and Australia in recent weeks, the effects vary considerably by region. The war is intensifying a full-blown crisis in the transatlantic alliance, but it is having more subtle impacts in the Western Pacific — and, in some ways, more positive outcomes in the Middle East.