The US-Iran Conflict and the New Great-Power Landscape: Transatlantic Strains and China's Strategic Calculus

Following recent developments in the Middle East, the Policy Center for the New South is launching a three-part webinar series on the strategic, geopolitical, security, and economic consequences of the US-Iran conflict. 

Building on the publication Hormuz and the Invisible Fractures: The Price of a Distant War – Views from the New South, the series examines the Strait of Hormuz as both a vital maritime chokepoint and a fault line in a changing global order. While the recent U.S.–Iran agreement has eased immediate tensions, the crisis remains ongoing and continues to evolve, making this publication a timely snapshot of a dynamic and still-unfolding geopolitical landscape.

Drawing on the volume's multidisciplinary analysis, the webinars explore the conflict's implications for the New South, global trade routes, energy security, and the evolving international order, while fostering informed discussion on the long-term strategic lessons emerging from the crisis.

This session explores how the US-Iran conflict is reshaping relations among major global powers. The discussion assess the impact of the crisis on transatlantic cohesion, the evolving positions of Europe and the United States, and China's strategic calculations in this changing environment. Particular attention is being paid to the implications for global governance, great-power competition, and the emerging international order.