Eisenhower alerted the British prime minister to his firm opposition to war. The use of force against Egypt, he insisted, would rally Arab opinion to Nasser, certainly lead to a cutoff of oil shipments to Europe, and open the door to wider Soviet influence. Yes, Nasser must be deflated, Ike agreed, but Suez was “not the issue on which to do this by force.” Eden, however, refused to accept such counsel.
