The United States is paying a major diplomatic and strategic price for its war against Iran, with Washington’s influence in the Middle East, Gulf countries’ confidence and prospects for a rapid end to the conflict all damaged, analysts say. Former senior US diplomat Alan Eyre discussed the consequences of the US war against Iran in an interview with Al Jazeera from Washington.

Eyre, who played an important role in talks on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, said US “soft power” in the Gulf region has been severely harmed. He said President Donald Trump’s decision to pursue the military operation unilaterally has pushed members of the Gulf Cooperation Council toward more balanced approaches to their strategic positions. He described the “America First” policy as having effectively become “America Alone.”

According to Eyre, Washington has lost leverage in two key areas. Its use of military force has not compelled Iran to surrender, raising questions about the effectiveness of military pressure. Iran also no longer believes that accepting US demands would ease American pressure, instead viewing regime change as Washington’s real objective. Eyre said these perceptions leave the United States with fewer diplomatic options to bring Tehran back to negotiations and quickly reach an agreement.