Britain, Turkey, and the EU in the Iran War and the New Fragmentation

Britain, Turkey, and the EU in the Iran War and the New Fragmentation
17.03.2026

EDAM Foreign Policy Program Director Prof. Dr. Zeynep Alemdar and Dr. Ahmet Erdi Öztürk Reader at London Metropolitan University examine the Iran war  as a major geopolitical rupture with far-reaching implications for the international system. By comparatively assessing the positions of the UK, Türkiye, and the European Union, the report  looks into three distinct but interconnected strategic postures in the emerging system. The researchers look into how each actor is being forced to respond to the conflict through the constraints of strategic uncertainty, economic vulnerability, alliance politics, and regional exposure through an analysis of each actors' economic constraints, identity crises, domestic problems, military posture and transatlantic ties.   The analysis shows that while Britain seeks to maintain influence without assuming full responsibility, the European Union struggles to reconcile internal fragmentation with external dependence, and Türkiye faces the crisis as an immediate and multidimensional challenge at the intersection of security, diplomacy, and domestic stability.  

Overall, the paper argues that the war reveals a broader transformation in global politics, where instability, selective alignments, and contested strategic relevance increasingly define the emerging non-order.

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