The costs to the United States of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran are growing both in blood and treasure. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, and any attempt to reopen it could heighten those costs further, perhaps in a fashion reminiscent of the famous Anglo-French fiasco at Gallipoli over a century ago. In addition to the lives sacrificed and the mounting energy crisis, there have been consequences for the world order, especially in great-power relations.
Trump delayed the long-anticipated U.S.-China summit with Xi Jinping, and this is now scheduled for mid-May. The delay shows that the Trump administration has been forced to set aside broader questions of world order to resolve the all-consuming Middle East crisis.
However, the U.S.-China relationship is crucial, especially at this moment, and should not be allowed to slip further. The last formal summit between the American and Chinese presidents, which featured the same two leaders, took place in 2017. In the intervening decade, relations have gone from bad to worse.
While the Trump administration deserves some credit for stabilizing the downward spiral, not least by returning to the policy of “strategic ambiguity” on America’s position toward a hypothetical war in Taiwan, there is much more to be done.
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