The Iran conflict is becoming a test for NATO, with the United States using the situation to gauge the resolve of its allies. However, many European capitals view the current circumstances as a result of ill-conceived actions by Washington. This perspective was detailed in an editorial commentary by China Daily.
"What Washington frames as a test of resolve, many of its NATO partners see as a failure of judgment," the publication writes. "The latest bone of contention— the demand for allies to participate in escort missions in the Strait of Hormuz — has exposed a familiar but deepening divide. The issue is no longer just about 'burden sharing', but about the expediency and legitimacy of the mission itself. For the US, the argument is straightforward. The energy consumers must protect the routes. Yet, for many allies, the issue is not whether the waterway matters — it plainly does — but the fact that it was Washington's precipitous actions that caused the crisis. This distinction separates traditional solidarity from what some fear is becoming complicity in a conflict they neither sought nor support".
Internal divisions within the US are also significant. The newspaper cites the recent resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent in protest against the administration's Iran policy. Such high-level resignations are rare and signal a crisis of internal consensus. The departure of security officials highlights a broader anxiety that the current trajectory risks strategic overreach — sliding into a wider conflict without clearly defined objectives.
The commentary also points to Israel's expanding role. "With the US preoccupied with Iran, Israel's expanding military operations in Lebanon — alongside its broader regional posture — suggest a determination to reshape the strategic environment while the spotlight remains fixed on Iran. In doing so, Israel is advancing objectives long constrained by practical limits, making it the main beneficiary of the Iran conflict," the publication writes.
Finally, the impact on global energy markets remains a grave concern. The threat to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has placed immense pressure on world markets. China Daily notes a critical vulnerability regarding Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): while many countries have oil reserves that can cover months of consumption, LNG storage is much more limited, often lasting only weeks. This creates a real danger of a global energy crisis if disruptions persist.
The publication concludes that diplomacy is the only viable path out of the crisis. "It requires negotiation, however unpalatable, and a recognition that de-escalation is not a concession, but a necessity."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS