President Donald Trump’s war against Iran in alliance with Israel, a war which appears to be stalled as Trump seeks diplomatic off-ramps, is testing old partnerships for the United States. Our alliances can be fairly said to be in flux. But what makes a country a good ally?
At a minimum, a good ally must offer reliability and power, including hard military power, buttressed by softer yet important forms of power (for instance, capabilities in diplomacy and intelligence gathering). Shared values certainly help; common culture and national habits buttress any alliance. Convenient geography must not be underestimated either. But do we need to rethink our alliances?
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