The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world
Sven Biscopis a Belgian political scientist and strategist specialising in the foreign affairs and security of the EU and its relations with great powers. He is a director at theEgmont Royal Institute for International Relationsin Brussels and a professor atGhent University. He is also a senior research fellow atRenmin Universityin Beijing, where he teaches in the summer. Biscop is the author of many books, including 2024’sThis Is Not a New World Order: Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics, from Ukraine to Taiwan. His voice is one of the most prominent in the policy debate in Brussels. Note: this interview was updated last week before the most recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz and the Israeli ceasefire with Lebanon.
As a European, what does the Iran war and how it has unfolded tell you about the world in 2026?
We now have the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Israel waging war on Lebanon; ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed. Where is this going?
The US and Israel started a war and they no longer control the ramifications. Europe has to stand firm: expanding the war will not solve any problems. The only thing to expand is the number of powers involved in the diplomatic negotiations. Only that can produce a serious arrangement with a chance of proving stable.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
