Is Iran one crisis too many for Trump?

Is Iran one crisis too many for Trump?

From Independent Thinking by Chatham House

March 20, 2026 · 36 min · Season 4 · Episode 27

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the US-Israel war on Iran for Trump's international alliances and the global political landscape.

The US-Israel war on Iran is straining Trump's alliances, at home and abroad. Three weeks into exactly the kind of war of choice that he spent years decrying, US President Donald Trump is not getting the amount of international support that he seeks for his campaign of air strikes on Iran. There is also reluctance among NATO and other allies to be drawn into the political and economic turmoil caused by the US-Israeli campaign, and Tehran's region-wide retaliation. Our experts discuss the state of US-Gulf relations, the muted European response to Trump's appeals for help in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, and what it could mean elsewhere in the world for ongoing crises in Ukraine, Cuba and Venezuela. Joining host Bronwen Maddox this week are Dr Neil Quilliam, an associate fellow in our Middle East and North Africa Programme; Dr Christopher Sabatini, senior research fellow for Latin America; and Heather Hurlburt, a consulting fellow in our US and North America Programme. Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth. Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts. Chatham House's latest: The World Today magazine | Spring issue out now Expert comment | Should the…

People in this episode

Host: Bronwen Maddox

Guests: Dr Neil Quilliam, Dr Christopher Sabatini, Heather Hurlburt

Topics covered

  • US foreign policy
  • Iran conflict
  • Middle East relations
  • US-Israel relations
  • NATO involvement
  • Global political impact

Keywords

  • Trump
  • Iran
  • US-Israel war
  • NATO
  • Gulf relations
  • European response
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • Ukraine
  • Cuba
  • Venezuela

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chatham House, NATO

Places: Iran, US, Israel, Gulf, Ukraine, Cuba, Venezuela

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