• The Iran War stalemate and dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the mounting pressure on both sides to reach a deal
• Iran's hardliners consolidating power and the growing likelihood the regime pursues nuclear weapons as a deterrent
• King Charles III's address to a joint session of Congress and its surprising ability to unite a deeply divided chamber
• The diplomatic lesson of royalty and why pomp and circumstance may be more effective than elected leaders in dealing with Trump
• Germany's unprecedented defense spending surge and what it means for NATO, European autonomy, and the transatlantic relationship
• Trump's threats to withdraw US troops from Germany, Italy, and Spain, and whether they signal policy or political posturing
• The economic toll of the Iran War on European publics, with inflation rising and governments increasingly vulnerable to far-right challengers
• Europe's fundamental challenge of broad agreement on what needs to be done, paired with near-total failure to agree on how to do it
• The AFD surpassing Merz's CDU in German polls for the first time, signaling deepening public discontent
• The limits of strategic autonomy and why Germany's reliance on American nuclear guarantees and weapons systems keeps it tethered to NATO and Washington

• The evolving ceasefire and military dynamics in Ukraine, including the Western response and Ukraine's increasing technological resilience
• Lebanon’s fragile ceasefire extension, Hezbollah's role, and opportunities for strengthening Lebanese sovereignty
• Iran’s nuclear ambitions, domestic fractures, and the prospects for a diplomatic resolution amid US-Iran tensions
• The impact of US foreign policy, regional alliances, and the importance of strategic patience and expertise
• Ukraine’s military remains strong, with signs of a shift in the battlefield, including increasing drone attacks deep inside Russia
• Europe is rethinking its security posture, increasingly looking towards Ukraine’s resilience and local defense capabilities
• Lebanon’s internal political landscape offers a window for US and European allies to support state-building and disarmament efforts
• Iran faces multiple asymmetries—geographical, military, and trust-related—that complicate negotiations and potential agreements
• US influence in the Middle East is waning, highlighting the need for regional actors to diversify alliances and strengthen capabilitiesThe Iran ceasefire and US naval blockade: what's holding and what isn't

Key Topics

• The Iran ceasefire and US naval blockade: what's holding and what isn't
• US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan: prospects for a deal and the limits of unilateral diplomacy
• Europe's divided response: the Paris talks between Macron and Starmer and the question of inserting Europeans into the negotiations
• The Strait of Hormuz as Iran's ultimate leverage — and what "open" really means for trapped mariners
• Viktor Orbán's stunning defeat in Hungary: the economy, corruption, and the cohesion funds that sealed his fate
• Peter Magyar and TISA: how new is Hungary's new direction, and what does it mean for the EU and Ukraine?
• Orbán's fall as a setback for Putin, Trump, and the global far-right populist network
• Trump's feud with Pope Leo XIV: the politics of attacking the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics
• Hispanic and Catholic voters: the political costs of the President vs. Pope standoff
• The limits of populism: from Budapest to Washington, is the far right losing its popular touch?

Links

• Christina Ruffini — https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AX7AZxLijDQ/christina-ruffini
• Karin Axelsson — https://politiken.dk/person/7961_Karin_Axelsson
• Jamie Dettmer — politico.eu/author/jamie-dettmer
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
• World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder