Trump's foreign policy: Strongmen on speed dial, allies and partners on notice

TOI correspondent from Washington: Forget bombing Iran to end it as a civilization, US President Donald Trump on Sunday dropped bombshells on America's allies and partners, including India, to send a disquieting message: good ties with Washington may no longer guarantee its support in return.Within hours of each other, Trump warmly endorsed a new defence pact linking Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey while ordering a substantial reduction in US-South Korean military exercises, explicitly invoking his “very good relationship” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Taken together, the moves suggest a foreign policy increasingly organized around personal relationships, immediate transactional demands, and affinity for strongmen rather than the institutional logic of long-standing alliances.“