Is the War Rewriting the World Order? | The High Top

How is the U.S.-Iran war being felt beyond the battlefield, and what is it teaching the world about American power?

In this episode of The High Top, Nancy Youssef, staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and the Defense Department, joins Jon B. Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, to discuss what the U.S.-Iran war reveals about a changing world. Drawing on Nancy’s recent travels through the UAE and India, their conversation examines how the war is reshaping the way rising powers view their relationships with the United States, how cheap drones and missiles are eroding the advantage of expensive American weapons systems, and whether there is a clear path to ending the conflict.

The war’s effects are showing up in everyday life far from the Gulf, from layoffs in the UAE to rising prices, supply delays, and fewer tourists in India. Those experiences are prompting a broader reexamination of ties with Washington. Countries are not turning away from the United States, but they increasingly see overreliance on it as a risk and are diversifying their partnerships. On the battlefield, Iran has shown that inexpensive, mass-produced munitions can strike with precision, while the United States struggles to resupply the sophisticated systems its partners depend on. With diplomacy stalled and Washington focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the war may not have a clear end at all, though it may also give the U.S. military an opening to rethink how it trains, buys, and supplies itself for a new era of conflict.

To understand what the Iran war reveals about the emerging world order, tune in to Jon and Nancy's full conversation.

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