The war on Iran stands as a revealing reflection of a profound structural shift in an international order that has been taking shape for years. The Iran conflict cannot be viewed merely as a passing regional crisis or a confrontation between rival powers confined to a specific geography. It represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of international relations. The war reflects the ongoing transition from a unipolar world order to a new and still undefined order, shaped by emerging forms of power born of the current era. The contours of this new order are unfolding amid mounting global challenges that may evolve into a cascading and imminent danger, a development that is far from unusual in periods of major conflicts and transformation within the international system.

In the aftermath of the Cold War, and with the emergence of Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History” thesis proclaiming the triumph of the United States over the Soviet Union, Washington came to dominate the international system as the world’s sole superpower, uniquely capable of shaping rules and imposing new global norms throughout the three decades that followed. This dominance was reinforced by Europe’s integration under the American security umbrella through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which gave the old continent a broad space to advance economically through deeper integration, while granting Washington an unprecedented monopoly over global power, backed by a cohesive Western alliance. These transformations faced little meaningful resistance from other major powers. Russia, as the successor to the Soviet Union, engaged with the Western economic system, while maintaining an awareness of its distinct national identity. China, meanwhile, cooperated with that same order, developing itself cautiously and deliberately, avoiding the confrontational posture that had long defined its image. Its rise, as a result, appeared gradual and largely peaceful. Within this integrated international order, regional conflicts remained confined mainly to their geographic boundaries, a defining characteristic of the unipolar era.

Relations between Europe and the United States are increasingly moving toward divergence, or at least greater strategic autonomy. In the wake of the tariff disputes with the US, Europe accelerated efforts to finalize trade agreements with India, Brazil, and other countries, in an attempt to diversify its economic partnerships. Trade between the European Union and China now accounts for nearly 30 percent of global trade flows, despite the volatility that continues to define relations between Brussels and Beijing. The United States launched its military operation against Iran without any meaningful consultation with its European allies, amid renewed tensions over NATO funding, a dispute Trump ignited during his first term and revived again in his current one, further straining a historic alliance. Trump also threatened to impose sweeping trade restrictions on Spain after Madrid refused to allow American forces to launch strikes from bases on its territory. He later announced the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany, following remarks by the German chancellor criticizing the course of the war against Iran. Last March, French President Emmanuel Macron, delivered a speech from the Île Longue nuclear naval base in which he announced the expansion of France’s nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. He also introduced the concept of........

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