# Special Episode: Europe and the Iran War

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/middle-east-focus-529488/special-episode-europe-and-the-iran-war
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/middle-east-focus-529488/special-episode-europe-and-the-iran-war.md
Podcast: [Middle East Focus](https://stenobird.com/podcast/middle-east-focus-529488)
Published: 2026-04-02T15:08:00+00:00
Episode link: https://middleeastinst.libsyn.com/special-episode-europe-and-the-iran-war
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/middleeastinst/Middle_East_Focus_4.2.26_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=531685
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/middle-east-focus-529488/episodes/special-episode-europe-and-the-iran-war
Duration seconds: 3509

## Resource

This special episode of Middle East Focus features a conversation from MEI's Virtual Briefing Series. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by former National Security Council Senior Director Stephen Flanagan and MEI Senior Fellow Iulia-Sabina Joja to discuss the impacts of the Iran war on US-European relations. The conflict has hit Europe's economy hard and created deep divisions across the continent, even as some European countries play a quiet supporting role to the US. President Donald Trump has called for NATO member states to help secure shipping through the Iranian-blocked Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for international maritime trade. Flanagan and Joja explore the prospects for stepped-up European military involvement, the knock-on effects on the war in Ukraine, and the potential longer-term impact on the future of the US-European alliance. Watch the Virtual Briefing Series here . Recorded on March 31, 2026.

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## Transcript

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