For more than a century, the U.S. and the United Kingdom have spoken proudly of our “special relationship.” It is a phrase meant to capture the shared language, values and sacrifices that have bound our nations together through history. But a special relationship carries obligations.
As much as I and most Americans love the British, America only rarely calls on them. Now, when America has called for help in Iran, after much arm-twisting and persuasion, Britain is providing only token assistance, permitting use of British military bases for defensive purposes only. More recently, the U.S. asked the U.K. to help defend global shipping and energy supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Britain has offered limited assistance in the waterway, sending one warship only after its Diego Garcia territory was threatened by missiles from Iran.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also made clear that the United Kingdom will “not be drawn into the wider war.” That hesitation should trouble every American who remembers the history of this alliance…
Please read the full article in The Hill here: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5808118-britain-us-alliance-iran/