The early reactions of Syria’s neighbors to the U.S.-led airstrikes on three chemical weapons-related facilities last week fell into familiar patterns. As the reality of the very limited nature of the attack sinks in, expect responses that capture the deep ambivalence in the Middle East toward American power.

President Donald Trump is facing a major decision on America’s next steps in Syria, as he mulls withdrawing U.S. forces but also ordering another strike on the Assad regime. What Trump does will affect whether the U.S. sticks to its post-Cold War orthodoxy, or strikes out in a radically new direction.