On February 25, 2026, John Cabot University hosted a panel discussion entitled America and the Mediterranean in the Trump Era. The event was organized and funded by John Cabot University’s Department of Political Science and International Affairs in collaboration with OSMED – Osservatorio sul Mediterraneo – of the Institute of Political Studies “S. Pio V”.
Professor Silvia Scarpa – the chair of JCU’s Department of Political Science and International Affairs – and Dr. Francesco Anghelone – OSMED’s coordinator at Istituto di Studi Politici “S. Pio V” – opened the event and shared engaging and informative perspectives on the strategic importance of the Mediterranean as well as the role of international law and institutions in the current geopolitical context.
The panel featured professors Gregory Alegi (LUISS), Donatella Della Ratta (John Cabot University), Simone Tholens (John Cabot University), and Paolo Wulzer (Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale). The discussion was moderated by Diego Pagliarulo (John Cabot University and OSMED).
This pluralist and multidisciplinary discussion focused on the Mediterranean as a major geopolitical flashpoint in today’s world. Between 2023 and 2025, the war in Gaza tragically placed the region at the center of the global stage. By early 2026, the Mediterranean remains an area affected by a variety of intertwined geopolitical challenges, including the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, the political transition in Syria, and the renewed conflict involving Iran and its regional proxies. The members of the panel debated the structural and short-term factors shaping US policy towards the Mediterranean as well as the role of NATO and the EU in the region. The panel also focused on the evolution of American foreign and security policy under the Trump administration, its impact on the Mediterranean, and how Washington’s actions might further shape the region. This scholarly tour d’horizon also included an analysis of how US policy initiatives are portrayed in the Arab media landscape as well as the impact of the Trump administration on Arab public opinion.
