AnalysisAs Iran tensions smoulder, Donald Trump suddenly loves allies he berated for three years

The president, who once said that US spy agencies should ‘go back to school’, is now highlighting the intel services’ work that led to the killing of Soleimani

Trump also wants Nato to help more in the Middle East. He even suggested a new possible name of ‘NATOME’ to add emphasis on the region

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Pakistani Shiite Muslims stand on the representations of Israeli and US flags during a demonstration in Peshawar. Photo: AP

Published: 11:37pm, 10 Jan 2020Updated: 2:17am, 11 Jan 2020

As tensions fester with Iran, US President Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he has spent three years dismissing or alienating: Nato, Western allies and US intelligence agencies.

Trump, who once said that US spy agencies should “go back to school”, is now highlighting the intelligence services’ work that led to the fatal air strike against Iran’s most powerful general. “There’s some dripping irony, but nobody thinks all of a sudden he loves us,” said Marc Polymeropoulos, a recently retired 26-year CIA veteran who held assignments in the Middle East, Europe and Eurasia.

Also, after three years of dismissive comments about Nato and other European allies, Trump says he wants them to help more in the Middle East. He even suggested a new possible name of “NATOME” to add emphasis on the Middle East.

Following his order to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and the dangerous aftermath of Iran launching missiles at US military installations, Trump said he would like to see more Nato troops in the Middle East because the problems there are international in scope.

His latest entreaty is also the freshest test of whether he can bend other nations and international alliances to his will and convince them to join with him after years of letting many of those relationships wither.