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Damage in a residential building in the Saadat Abad neighborhood of Tehran on June 26, following the Israeli attack on Iran.
Damage in a residential building in the Saadat Abad neighborhood of Tehran on June 26, following the Israeli attack on Iran.

Would Beijing Welcome Escalation in the Middle East?

China has plenty to lose from instability.

Argument
Deng Yuwen
The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.
The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.

Iran Is Islamism’s Last Lifeline in the Middle East

Without support from a weakened Tehran, the region’s extremist movements would wither.

Argument
Lina Khatib
A counterterrorism officer stands in front of Trump Tower in New York on March 30, 2023.
A counterterrorism officer stands in front of Trump Tower in New York on March 30, 2023.

Terrorism Means Something Different Now

The firewall between violent nonstate actors and conventional warfare has become highly permeable.

Argument
Colin P. Clarke, Christopher P. Costa
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for the 2025 NATO summit.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for the 2025 NATO summit.

NATO Approves Landmark Defense Spending Increase

But Spain remains a rare holdout, angering U.S. President Donald Trump, who has painted the policy as a personal win.

World Brief
Alexandra Sharp
Dozens of people stand around a flaming pile of fabric in the middle of a road. The sky overhead is dim and cloudy; it appears to be dusk. One man standing behind the fire has his arms raised, as if in celebration.
Dozens of people stand around a flaming pile of fabric in the middle of a road. The sky overhead is dim and cloudy; it appears to be dusk. One man standing behind the fire has his arms raised, as if in celebration.

Pakistan Finds Itself in Awkward Diplomatic Position

Dizzying developments in Iran after the Pakistani army chief met with Trump could have political costs back home.

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Putin and Khamenei sit beside each other in upholstered armchairs, a coffee table between them. Putin gestures with both hands as he speaks, while Khamenei smiles slightly at him.
Putin and Khamenei sit beside each other in upholstered armchairs, a coffee table between them. Putin gestures with both hands as he speaks, while Khamenei smiles slightly at him.

Why Russia Is Sitting Out This Round of the Israel-Iran Conflict

As Putin’s dependence on Iran decreases, he seeks to maintain ties with Tehran’s regional rivals.

Analysis
Dimitar Bechev
Clockwise from bottom right: U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gather for a family photo before a NATO summit plenary session in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25.
Clockwise from bottom right: U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gather for a family photo before a NATO summit plenary session in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25.

Stockholm Syndrome in The Hague

NATO professes its love for Trump while held hostage by his demands.

Situation Report
Rishi Iyengar, John Haltiwanger
A U.N. peacekeeper in a blue helmet is seen in profile as he holds the pole of a blue U.N. flag in front of a razor wire border fence. Three other blue-helmet troops are visible behind him, holding rifles and peering at the camera. The landscape beyond the fence is a dusty hill spotted with sparse plants.
A U.N. peacekeeper in a blue helmet is seen in profile as he holds the pole of a blue U.N. flag in front of a razor wire border fence. Three other blue-helmet troops are visible behind him, holding rifles and peering at the camera. The landscape beyond the fence is a dusty hill spotted with sparse plants.

At 80, the U.N. Is Down But Not Out

Despite its many failings, the 80-year-old institution still has a vital role.

Argument
Richard Gowan
A poster of Trump kneeling before Khamenei. Two women walk past it.
A poster of Trump kneeling before Khamenei. Two women walk past it.

Trump Is Just Trying to Save Face

It is becoming harder than ever to imagine that Iran will abandon nuclear ambitions.

Argument
Howard W. French
Milei is seen in partial profile as he walks in front of a dark blue stage backdrop. Milei is smiling slightly and looking down; he wears a dark suit and tie and clutches a folder and a cell phone in his hands.
Milei is seen in partial profile as he walks in front of a dark blue stage backdrop. Milei is smiling slightly and looking down; he wears a dark suit and tie and clutches a folder and a cell phone in his hands.

Why the IMF’s Loan to Argentina Is a Scandal

The Trump-Milei political alliance indicates the need for the International Monetary Fund’s reform.

Analysis
Mark Weisbrot
U.S. President Donald Trump looks down and adjusts his suit lapels as he poses alongside other leaders standing in rows for a family photo. The leaders around him face the camera and smile.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks down and adjusts his suit lapels as he poses alongside other leaders standing in rows for a family photo. The leaders around him face the camera and smile.

NATO Is Avoiding a Difficult Conversation

Leaders lack public approval to make good on their promises on defense spending.

Argument
Ravi Agrawal
French President Emmanuel Macron with Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose for the media at a hotel prior to an E3 meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 24, 2025.
French President Emmanuel Macron with Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose for the media at a hotel prior to an E3 meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 24, 2025.

Europe Is Irrelevant to the New Middle East

As wars rage from Gaza to Iran, European diplomats are struggling to get heard.

Analysis
Anchal Vohra
People in a crowd cheer as they hold up Iranian flags.
People in a crowd cheer as they hold up Iranian flags.

South Africa Faces a Diplomatic Tightrope on Iran

Pretoria’s balancing act may only become more challenging if a cease-fire fails to hold.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
People demonstrate against the United States entering a war with Iran outside the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 9, 2020.
People demonstrate against the United States entering a war with Iran outside the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 9, 2020.

What Happened to the War Powers Act?

A 1973 bipartisan coalition promised to restore constitutional balance, but Trump’s recent actions show things didn’t work out as planned.

Analysis
Julian E. Zelizer
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun gestures to the press.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun gestures to the press.

A Distracted Washington Is a Win for Beijing

China is happy to step back from the Middle East so that it can challenge the United States where it counts.

China Brief
James Palmer
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