The relationship has always been more "special" to the UK than it is to us. The term itself is a post-war, Churchillian invention meant to convey Britain's cautious satisfaction with the rise of a historically, culturally and linguistically linked United States as a global hegemon.
The US in 2022 has far more strategic allies than Britain, but our relationship is destined to remain "special" in a cultural sense. Americans will always be mystified by Merry England. Britons will continue to see America as the destination for their most successful.
I'm assuming you are referring to countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, and Canada here.
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