The escalation in the Middle East could reshape how U.S. allies view cooperation with Washington, according to commentators writing for the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.

The authors argue that even if the United States and Israel-who launched military action against Iran with the goal of overthrowing the ruling regime-achieve battlefield success, they may still lose the broader strategic struggle. In their view, the cost of alignment with the White House is already being questioned across parts of the international community.

The publication points to Iran’s ongoing attacks on American military bases as a factor forcing the Pentagon to reinforce air defense systems throughout the region. As part of these measures, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems and an AN/TPY-2 radar previously deployed in South Korea were relocated to the Persian Gulf area. Two Aegis-equipped destroyers arriving from Japan have also been integrated into the operation.

According to the article, these developments highlight a pattern in which certain countries function less as strategic partners of the United States and more as locations for the deployment and storage of tactical military assets. The authors suggest this dynamic demonstrates how costly and potentially risky a close alliance with Washington can be.

The military campaign carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28 and has now entered its third week. Since then, the sides have continued exchanging strikes. Israeli officials say the operation is intended to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while Washington states that it seeks to weaken Iran’s military capabilities and calls for political change in the country.