In an interview with Politico, Emily Thornberry, chair of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said that during the war in Iran US President Donald Trump had learned firsthand how crucial it is to have a broad circle of allies.

She suggested that Trump had not tried to secure NATO backing for the war in Iran, possibly considering it unnecessary, and argued that he was now discovering in practice the importance of a wide allied base.

According to Politico’s reporters, the refusal of European countries to support Washington in the Middle East highlights a rift in transatlantic relations. They noted that the United Kingdom and Spain declined to grant the United States access to their military bases for strikes on Iran, while French President Emmanuel Macron described what is happening in Iran as a violation of international law.

The article also recalls that Trump previously criticized London for its reluctance to back Washington in the Middle East. In his view, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer should have helped the United States because of the «special relationship» between the two countries. Trump said he disliked seeing that ties between London and Washington were no longer what they once were.