What the Iran War Revealed About U.S. Power | The High Top

In this episode of The High Top, Charles Edel, Senior Adviser and Australia Chair, joins Jon B. Alterman, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, to examine what the recent U.S.-Iran war has revealed about American power and the future of the international order. Their conversation explores how U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific are interpreting Washington's actions, why many in the Global South see the conflict as a long-awaited reckoning for American influence, and what it would take to build a more durable strategy with allies in an increasingly uncertain world. 

Even as favorability toward the United States has declined in close allies such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea, many still see an enduring U.S. presence as essential to regional stability. Elsewhere, particularly across much of the Global South, the conflict has reinforced longstanding skepticism toward American leadership. Jon and Charlie argue that while the Cold War ended more than three decades ago, the United States never developed a clear successor to the post-1945 order, and is now confronting the consequences. 

To explore how shifting perceptions of American power are reshaping global politics, tune in to Jon and Charlie's full conversation. 

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