Three aspects of today’s international order, last week and this, illuminate America’s uniquely powerful place in the world.

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First was the US’s ability to manage a major crisis in the Middle East. One of its achievements was to conjure an international coalition for the air defence of Israel, unheralded and, even now, largely unremarked. We know that the US was indispensable in helping Israel fend off an intense barrage from Iran just over a week ago, together with two other long-standing friends of Israel – Britain and France.

But we now also know that the US last month secretly convened a meeting of the military leaders of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to pitch a proposal to create a coordinated air defence network against Iran.

Some of these countries – Jordan and Saudi Arabia – then actively joined in the defence of Israel against the 350 or so Iranian missiles and armed drones that swarmed Israel’s skies in the hope of overwhelming its air defence systems.

Strikingly, one of the countries – Saudi Arabia – doesn’t even recognise Israel diplomatically, yet took part in protecting it militarily. Jordan opened its airspace to the US and its allies, the Saudis assisted with radar tracking and both contributed intelligence to the joint effort.

This represents a potential nascent regional air defence network, joined by mutual hostility to Iran but convened by America. And could only have been convened by America.

The US then successfully negotiated with Israel to curtail Jerusalem’s military hit-back against Iran, helping avert a state-on-state war in the Middle East. Again, no other country could have prevailed effectively on Israel in this way.

Second was the sheer power on display in Washington, culminating in the US House vote on the weekend, and to be confirmed by the Senate shortly.

In a single package of assistance, the House of Representatives approved $US60.8 billion for Ukraine in its war with Russia, $US26.4 billion to support Israel in its fights against Hamas and Iran, and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, much of it earmarked for Taiwan.

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The funding for Ukraine, in particular, is decisive. Without it, Kyiv’s ability to withstand Moscow would be tested severely and it might have been forced prematurely to the negotiating table. With it, Ukraine is able confidently to continue the fight.

But it’s also true that no other nation would give Israel such a decisive edge over its rivals, and no other would give Taiwan the kit and confidence to sustain its de facto independence against a looming Beijing.

This one package shores up US friends and allies with priceless support amid existential struggles across three continents.

Third is the assertion of power that the US is about to lead in the South China Sea this week. The US is joining its treaty ally the Philippines in the annual Exercise Balikatan manoeuvres, as it has every year for nearly four decades. This year the US and the Philippines will be joined by Japan, Australia and France. And, this year, they will exercise in maritime territories claimed by Beijing, a claim that violates international law. This is a powerful deterrent effort in support of a vulnerable ally at a time of acute danger.

The jungle may be encroaching, but these exercises of US power will show that America can, and sometimes will, defend borders, nations and freedoms against predators. Invincible, no, but indispensable, certainly.

Peter Hartcher is international editor.