US pressing others to help reopen Hormuz is to socialize liability of its self-made trouble

History's recurring lesson is that great powers often mistake ultimatums for rational strategy. The Middle East crisis offers another tutorial on that error.

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pressed allies in Europe and Asia to contribute to a US-led effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that nations dependent on Gulf energy should shoulder more of the burden. Reports also described internal discussions in Washington of punitive measures against NATO members, including the United Kingdom and Spain, reluctant to align with the US' Middle East course.

This reveals less confidence than advertised. When the US administration begins demanding that allies underwrite an emergency of its own making, it is socializing liability. Washington would prefer to convert a failure of policy into a universal obligation. The pattern is familiar: first, strategic indulgence of an ally's maximalism; second, regional escalation; third, an appeal to shared needs; fourth, invoices sent to friends.