How America lost its swagger after 100 days of war against Iran

Who would have imagined that just over 100 days could so change the world? The US-Israeli “war of choice” on Iran has fundamentally – perhaps, permanently – shifted the global balances of economic, military and political power, and not in America’s favour.

“Trump’s war in Iran was supposed to project American power. It projected the opposite,” wrote Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer in a newsletter. “American reliability can no longer be assumed, and reducing dependence on the US has gone from luxury to necessity.”

The damage to the US has been heavy. Pollsters record a dramatic collapse in America’s standing worldwide. Even among Americans, according to the Brookings Institution, 56 per cent believe the war has had a net negative effect on US interests – and this included a third of Republicans.

China’s standing has risen sharply without it having to lift a finger. More people now believe China will have a positive impact on global affairs in the coming decade than the US will, according to an Ipsos poll. A European Council poll showed that about half of respondents in Europe and the US now see China as an ally or necessary partner.