An increasingly isolated super power. No amount of military muscle can make up for poor statesmanship and terrible international debacles.
This is misplaced assumption. A superpower is not supposed to seek international support in its every move and is not engaged in popularity contest. A superpower is about what it can do in isolation and/or about dictating its terms across the board using
Carrot versus
Stick approach.
1. US closed the chapter of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in spite of global outcry.
2. NATO closed the chapter of Muammer Qaddafi in Libya in spite of global outcry.
3. US was unfazed by threats of DPRK and gave it two options in clear terms: cooperate or face destruction. DPRK yielded and chose to negotiate.
2. Trump administration declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and is shifting American embassy there in spite of global outcry. Can anybody stop it?
3. US broke the monopoly of OPEC with shale revolution, and can no longer be held hostage to blackmailing via threats of freezing oil exports to it. FYI:
https://www.strausscenter.org/energy-and-security/the-u-s-shale-revolution.html
Venezeula's economy collapsed as a mere side-effect of shale revolution. And GCC have lost its biggest leverage in US.
4. US imposed economic sanctions on mighty Russia for invading Ukraine. Russian economy tanked and fell from 6th spot to 13th spot in recent years consequently.
Russia is a near-peer geopolitical player and it cannot just shrug off the impact of US-imposed sanctions. FIFA event brought temporary relief but it won't last.
5. US is pinching China in the realm of economy at present, and China is feeling it. US was planning to kill notable Chinese brands one by one but Donald Trump softened his stance in this regard on humanitarian grounds. China have no choice but give some concessions.
Turkey, Iran and Pakistan are experiencing economic crisis. Iran in deep shit, in particular.
I kid you not; US is surging with energy and military muscle at present. It will push somebody's teeth in.
There is also this thing called context.
In the landlocked, Pashtun dominated Afghan context, Pakistan has the upper hand, which the Soviets learned the hard way and the US is coming to terms with after 17 years and a trillion dollars later. Being a superpower helped neither. IK has the mandate and support of every regional power to make these demands, which are very reasonable and fortunately US has no choice.
There are additional set of realities.
US invaded Afghanistan to close the chapter of Al-Qaeda Network in the region, and succeeded in this endeavor by 2011.
Taliban doesn't rank high in American radar in terms of threat because it has regional ambitions. Taliban have assured US through back channel talks that it won't support and host any terrorist entity. This had the desired effect.
Some Americans argue that US doesn't need to stay in Afghanistan because it dismantled Al-Qaeda Network there, and this was the primary objective. Let Afghans decide who will rule them instead of imposing a government on them.
