Iran’s national soccer team has made its 2026 World Cup debut amid a tumultuous backdrop: an abrupt and tentative ceasefire after months of war, an extraordinary set-up in Mexico after the US prevented the team from residing in-country between matches, and political uncertainty that has now expanded to the international stage. But for many Iranians, … Read more
When Trump launched a war against Iran in late February, his MAGA movement suddenly became nearly indistinguishable from the neoconservative foreign policy Trump once abhorred. For nearly four months, Washington hawks like Senator Lindsey Graham and radio jock Mark Levin were riding high. But over time it became clearer that the president was looking for … Read more
As Israeli officials lash out against a preliminary deal to end the war in Iran, President Donald Trump is returning the favor. “I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon,” Trump said Tuesday. “Israel would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved.” The comments represent … Read more
Albania, a small Balkan nation on the Adriatic coast, seldom makes headlines. But protesters waving pink flamingo cutouts on an Albanian island the Trump family wants to turn into a resort, have recently attracted international media attention. The dispute, which largely focuses on the threat the resort would pose to local wildlife, reveals more than … Read more
Last week, President Donald Trump claimed a secret US mission had moved 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz while it was blockaded. The claim landed in an industry already consumed by the question of how much oil is actually getting out—and nobody, it turns out, can answer that with confidence. “No … Read more
As signals mounted early Thursday that President Trump planned to escalate with Iran, two congressional Republicans urged him to abandon what they said are fruitless negotiations with the Islamic Republic. While saying they wanted to see the war with Iran end, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told the audience at the … Read more
President Donald Trump threatened to invade Iran’s Kharg Island in order to seize Iranian oil infrastructure there. “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday morning. The … Read more
As the US war with Iran continues to roil the Middle East, new research shared exclusively with WIRED shows that YouTube is hosting and possibly profiting from dozens of channels linked to US-sanctioned groups linked to the Iranian government, including many with direct ties to the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The research, from … Read more
Years ago, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described Baku’s relationship with Israel as an iceberg, with 90% hidden below the surface. Last week, CNN attempted to pull the hidden portion into full view. Notably, the report relied on four anonymous sources with apparent knowledge of highly sensitive Israeli military and intelligence activities in the greater Middle … Read more
It remains unclear whether Iran’s effort to establish a new equation in the region has truly succeeded — an equation in which, for the first time, Iran would directly strike Israel if Israel attacks Lebanon. What is clear is that recent events suggest the strategic landscape may be shifting. Israel chose to defy President Trump … Read more