The White House is in chaos. Again. This time over Iran. Donald Trump’s reported 180-degree turn on his Iran strategy has left allies scrambling. One minute he’s bombastic. The next he’s backing down. The message to Tehran is muddled. The message to Europe is worse: you cannot rely on Washington.
Here’s the inside track. Sources close to the National Security Council say Trump was poised to sign off on a new round of maximum pressure sanctions. Hardliners in his administration had him convinced. Then, at the last minute, a phone call with an unnamed foreign leader changed his mind. Or maybe it was the polling. The truth is fluid in this White House.
For Britain, this is a moment. A chance to prove that the Special Relationship is not a one-way street. Boris Johnson’s government has been quiet, but I’m told Downing Street is furious. Senior cabinet sources say the Prime Minister’s advisors are drafting a joint European statement on Iran. They want to demonstrate that British diplomacy can steady the ship.
The Foreign Office is already working the phones. My sources say the permanent secretary has been in constant contact with his French and German counterparts. The aim is a unified European position on the nuclear deal, independent of American whims. It’s a power play. A bid to show that London, not Washington, can lead on this issue.
But there are risks. Iran hawks in the Conservative party are watching. They see this as weakness. They want to align with Trump, not break from him. The Prime Minister will have to manage his backbenches. A rebellion is simmering.
And what of the polls? Support for Trump’s Iran policy is at an all-time low among British voters. A new YouGov survey shows 68% want Britain to chart its own course. That’s a mandate. Johnson can use it.
The coming weeks will test whether Britain can fill the vacuum left by American indecision. The game is afoot. Watch the statements emanating from the FCDO. Watch the phone calls. And watch for the first crack in the transatlantic facade.
