How the Iran War Is Straining the Transatlantic Relationship | The High Top

In this episode of The High Top, Max Bergmann, Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, joins Jon B. Alterman, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, to examine how the Iran war is straining the transatlantic relationship. Their conversation unpacks the political incentives now driving European leaders to push back on Washington and whether Europe can begin organizing itself for its own defense.

For Europeans, the Trump administration's Greenland threats were already a wake-up call. The Iran War has deepened the concern. For 30 years, Washington told Europeans to organize themselves around NATO rather than the EU, but the message is now shifting from burden sharing to burden shifting, with the U.S. wanting Europe to take real responsibility for deterring Russia. How Europe answers that question will shape its role not only in its own neighborhood but in the Middle East and beyond.

To explore how the Iran war is reshaping Europe and the future of transatlantic ties, tune into Jon and Max's full conversation.

This event is made possible through general support to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.