All the warnings were there. But President Trump’s reliance on his instincts, and his relationships, led him to ignore the consequences of a move that has emboldened Russia, Iran and the Islamic State.
The Blockade Made the News for Working. The Casualties It Cost Took Two Weeks to Surface.
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 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.
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.
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...
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.
It is not "hawkish" to point out that the Iran war was a counterproductive disaster - Lawyers, Guns & Money
I can’t believe we’re doing this, but some people are again rushing to concern troll Democrats who are allegedly criticizing Trump the wrong way and suggesting that they should be giving him credit for ending his catastrophic war. To state what really should be obvious:
Exclusive: 'It felt like a trap.' How Ukraine was blindsided by Trump's Putin pivot
When U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Ukraine's delegation on Oct. 9 that President Donald Trump was preparing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, the Ukrainians struggled to believe what they were hearing. The delegation had traveled to the United States to discuss a possible energy ceasefire with Russia. Instead, Kyiv's negotiators found themselves blindsided by a decision they feared would hand Moscow fresh revenue to finance its war against Ukraine while undermining
Trump denies willingness to give Iran sanctions relief in exchange for nuke concessions
US and Iranian officials speak separately with Qatari mediators on amended Iranian proposal that includes end to hostilities in Israeli-occupied south Lebanon, after Trump nixed earlier version
Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera. — ProPublica
Behind closed doors in Washington, top advisers made a series of decisions that had devastating repercussions for the poorest country on earth. We went to South Sudan and found people who died as a result.
U.S. official: Trump cut deal with Putin after Zelensky ignored his requests
Zelensky "misread the room," the official said.
Rubio warns of Iraq ‘Balkanisation’: Is that a real threat?
US secretary of state’s warning comes after he and Trump met the Iraqi PM on the sidelines of the UNGA.
From the Steppes of Donbas to the Deserts of Syria — OSINT for Ukraine
After more than 13 years of civil war, the Assad regime collapsed in a matter of weeks in December 2024. With few foreseeing the swiftness of the regime's demise, Russian interests in the region were dealt a resounding blow, following nearly a decade of committed involvement. As arguably the Russian ally which enjoyed the most military backing, the old Syria under Assad proved to be somewhat of a testing ground for Russian military expertise - perhaps the most important element of its relations with friendly states in the ‘global south’.
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
Why ‘Flooding the Zone’ Works for Trump - Dame Magazine
Trump’s allies openly described a strategy to overwhelm the press with simultaneous crises. The structure of modern journalism makes it work
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...
