







Saturday, Trump put his private rejection of Iran's Hormuz plan on the record. Sunday, Iran skipped Washington and went to Riyadh instead. Monday, two things...
Trump Said No on the Record. Iran Didn't Wait for a Yes — It Went to Riyadh Instead.
In yesterday's piece I flagged a WSJ report, sourced to unnamed US officials, that Trump had privately rejected Iran's seven-day Hormuz plan. I called it what...

Trump scoffs at Iran’s demand for war reparations and other Mideast developments
U.S. President Donald Trump is scoffing at Iran's demands that the U.S. pay for devastation caused by five months of war.
Saudi Arabia, UAE urge Trump to maintain pressure on Iran - WSJ
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging Washington to maintain sanctions and its naval blockade of Iran, complicating efforts to restart peace talks as attacks threaten their oil exports, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Ceasefire's Gone, the Talks Are Gone, and Nobody Agrees on the Tanker
Fifth piece in a series that started with Mokha falling on 09-11. Previous: The Strait Fell, and Riyadh Called Washington → Both Banks, and Now Iran's Own...

The Missile Reached Riyadh. The Oil Market Didn't Blink.
Sixth piece in a series that started with Mokha falling on 09-11. Previous: The Strait Fell, and Riyadh Called Washington → Both Banks, and Now Iran's Own...

Seven Months In, Iran and the US Actually Talked. The Oil Market Believed It.
Seventh piece in a series that started with Mokha falling on 09-11. Previous: The Strait Fell, and Riyadh Called Washington → Both Banks, and Now Iran's Own...

Senators grilled Hegseth on Iran. Here are 3 big moments from the hearing
Hegseth said at the top of the hearing that the supplemental funding was an “urgent, necessary injection of resources” for the department’s needs. He didn’t directly mention the Iran war in his opening statement.

Saudi's MBS dialled Trump, warplanes were readied to hit Houthis. Then, a U-turn
Donald Trump held back from joining Saudi-led strikes on Yemen's Houthis after a personal appeal from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and days of internal wavering. The pause exposed the tension between avoiding a wider Iran-linked conflict and preserving Saudi support for Washington's regional strategy.

Trump rejects Iran's conditional ceasefire proposal, WSJ reports, as Saudi coalition intercepts projectiles
Trump expects renewed U.S. bombing of Iran after the midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reports, as Saudi-backed forces intercept projectiles.

Iran, prices, ICE, and Epstein are the biggest stories of 2026
In a new database of news headlines stretching back to 2016, I show Trump's midterm convention failed to change news agendas

Trump gifts Saudi Arabia a nuclear win | Politics Weekly America
Donald Trump has announced a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia while pressing ahead with efforts to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. What’s driving Trump’s new agreement with Riyadh? And how is it likely to be received at home and across the Gulf?

US airman recounts Iran rescue in 60 Minutes segment branded propaganda
Critics say segment about airman’s rescue was made to boost public perception of Trump’s unpopular war

U.S. fires a new wave of strikes on Iran and hits a tanker trying to skirt its blockade
The U.S. and Iran traded fire for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday with U.S. strikes targeting Iranian command centers and missile sites, and Iran targeting U.S. military bases in Gulf countries, as both sides intensified attacks over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Missiles Hit Saudi Arabia. Its Oldest Ally Sent Nobody — France Did.
Ninth piece in a series that started with Mokha falling on 09-11. Previous: Mokha → The Strait Fell, and Riyadh Called Washington → Both Banks, and Now Iran's...
