Story perspectives

U.S.-Israel-Iran Tensions Threaten Global Order's Stability

4/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict signals a potential collapse of the postwar rules-based world order.
Stacie Goddard, political scientist, and Amitav Acharya, international relations scholar, argue the order has long excluded the Global South.
Acharya outlines possible futures, including a multiplex world order or a chaotic collapse.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine test sovereignty principles and erode trust in the order.
The outcome may depend on how middle powers navigate these changes.

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Story summary

The U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict signals a potential collapse of the postwar rules-based world order.
Stacie Goddard, political scientist, and Amitav Acharya, international relations scholar, argue the order has long excluded the Global South.
Acharya outlines possible futures, including a multiplex world order or a chaotic collapse.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine test sovereignty principles and erode trust in the order.
The outcome may depend on how middle powers navigate these changes.