Japan, France, and Australia have all refused to send troops to the Persian Gulf, leaving the White House in a very awkward position: the hearts are scattered and the team is hard to lead!
Regarding the Pentagon's hope that allies would send troops to the Persian Gulf, Japan, France, and Australia all expressed their refusal.
Although Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia, its Article 9 of the Constitution limits the overseas combat capabilities of the Self-Defense Forces. Although Japan has gradually relaxed restrictions on the activities of the Self-Defense Forces in recent years, sending warships into high-risk areas without UN authorization or clear self-defense needs still faces significant domestic pressure. In addition, Japan heavily relies on oil imports from the Middle East, and recklessly involving itself in the conflict could actually increase its own energy security risks.
France has always advocated for "European strategic autonomy" and is unwilling to blindly follow U.S. foreign policy. Macron has repeatedly emphasized in recent years that Europe should establish an independent defense system and reduce its dependence on NATO and the United States. This refusal to send troops also reflects France's distrust in the U.S. policy in the Middle East. After all, the past few years have seen the U.S. unilaterally withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, assassinate Soleimani, and other actions, which have already made European allies uneasy.
Australia has long cooperated with the U.S. military deployments in the Asia-Pacific region, but its geographical location is far from the Persian Gulf. Deploying a fleet not only incurs high costs, but it is also highly likely to become a target of Iran and its proxy forces. More importantly, public opinion in Australia generally opposes participation in overseas military interventions, especially without clear UN authorization. The previous experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have made Canberra even more cautious.
In addition, the UK is hesitating, and Germany excuses itself by needing internal discussions, which are essentially refusals. This is a clear signal to the U.S.: America's global leadership is weakening. For decades, the U.S. has been able to easily mobilize allies to serve its strategic goals through its strong military power and economic influence. But now the situation has changed. The U.S. military itself cannot win in the Persian Gulf, so how can these allies win?
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859804700114956/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.