Two months into the Iran war, requests from the United States to its longtime NATO partners for direct military support in the conflict have been largely declined, with some allies publicly criticizing the campaign.
At a recent event at the University of Chicago, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the war is straining relations within the treaty organization—and could even push European allies to consider closer alignment with China.
"It will be impossible to rebuild all of this world order,” Campbell said, cautioning future U.S. administrations of long-term diplomatic consequences. “Do not expect European friends to be grateful that you’re back.”
Campbell was the principal architect of U.S. strategy toward China under the administration of former President Joe Biden. He appeared at UChicago on April 17 with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and moderator Prof. Robert Pape for the fifth annual Hagel Lecture on Civil Politics and International Security, hosted by the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST).
The two veteran diplomats said the foreign policy of President Donald Trump’s administration has tested relationships with European allies—from tensions over Greenland to divisions over the war in Iran. They both described a critical need for the U.S. to rebuild the post-World War II system of rules and international institutions emphasizing diplomacy rather than war to resolve disputes.
“This world order that we built with our allies is systematically unraveling, and that is so damn dangerous,” said Hagel, a former U.S. senator who served in the administration of former President Barack Obama. “If there were ever a time that America needed allies or friends, it’s certainly now.”
NATO fractures over Iran war
Since the U.S. and Israel first launched joint missile strikes at Iran on Feb. 28, the Trump administration has repeatedly implored NATO members to join the war effort and help secure the Strait of Hormuz. But no ally has committed forces, and while Germany has offered limited logistical support, other nations have made their disapproval clear.
Pape, who is the director of CPOST, said this comes as the administration has “aggressively challenged core pillars” of the international order.
“With the broad tariffs and now the Iran war, the administration particularly challenged the principles of working with allies prior to consequential decisions and only pursuing war as a last resort,” he said.
Germany was given advance notice of the strikes in Iran, but other allies were not. France and Italy have since restricted U.S. military access, while Spain has gone further—closing its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the conflict.
“Who can blame them?” Campbell said when asked why most allies have refused to help. “They had no consultation in advance and do not understand why they are being asked to help now.”
The Iran war is part of a larger trend within world politics, the speakers asserted—the gap between America and its allies is widening.
“We are essentially isolating ourselves,” said Hagel. “Anybody that says that America doesn’t need anyone else needs to go back to the history books. We are global citizens and interdependent on each other.”
This distance is affecting the relationship even with stalwart allies such as Denmark, said Campbell. The Nordic nation was one of the 12 founding members of NATO in 1949 and has supported numerous U.S. military actions since, including the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, after the Trump administration’s rhetoric about Greenland, Campbell said a new wariness set in. Danish politicians were appalled by suggestions the U.S. might either buy or seize the territory to protect against threats from Russia and China, and NATO members warned such action would effectively collapse the alliance.
At a recent dinner at the Danish ambassador’s home in Washington, D.C., Campbell was told that Denmark now “looks at the U.S. as a potential hostile nation,” Campbell said.
“American leadership is still going to be essential,” Campbell said. “But when we come back and say trust us, will any really smart country ever trust us again?”
