As tensions rise in the Persian Gulf, some observers, among them some prominent former Obama-administration officials, have criticized the Trump administration for provoking the Islamic Republic. Not only is that not so, writes Eli Lake, but their misconstruction of events has already led U.S. allies to dangerous conclusions:

“The only encouraging thing” about the deadly explosion in Beirut, wrote the former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt on Twitter, “is that even Israel has been quick in offering humanitarian aid.” Had Bildt been better informed, he might have known that there is nothing new or unusual about the Jewish state offering humanitarian assistance to its Arab neighbors—or to more far-flung nations. Yet his bizarre comment was less hostile than the reactions of those who rushed to dismiss the offer as a meaningless public-relations stunt. Lahav Harkov writes: