Trump called Britain
"uncooperative," dismantled Lloyd's three-century grip on the Strait of
Hormuz, and inherited a united Gulf alliance — all in 72 hours. This is
what the end of empire looks like.
Susan Kokinda
In
this Wednesday update, Susan Kokinda argues that President Trump has
openly ruptured with the UK over Iran, base access, and broader British
policies on energy and immigration, while treating Germany under
Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a more reliable partner and moving to cut
trade with Spain over NATO and base issues. She says Britain blocked US
use of Diego Garcia and other RAF bases for initial strikes, prompting
Trump’s public criticism. Kokinda frames Lloyd’s of London’s decision to
cancel war-risk coverage for Gulf shipping as a weapon of British
imperial power, and highlights Trump’s response: directing the US
Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance and
putting the Navy on notice to escort tankers through the Strait of
Hormuz. She adds that Iranian strikes on Gulf neighbors pushed GCC
states into condemning Iran and aligning more closely with the US.
00:00 The Midweek Update - DISMANTLED: The 300-Year Empire Trump Just Ended - March 4, 2026
02:19 "This Is Not the Age of Churchill" — The Special Relationship Is Over
06:55 The King's Insurance Market — Three Centuries of Crown Control Over Global Trade
09:32 Iran's Gift to Trump — The Gulf Alliance Nobody Expected