Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Netanyahu urges Trump to cap Lebanon talks at two-three weeks amid IDF restraint - report As Hormuz Traffic stalls, U.S. pitches new coalition to get ships moving again Iran’s highly enriched uranium likely is still at the Isfahan site, UN nuclear chief tells AP Commanders to brief Trump on new Iran military options Thursday Iran has executed at least 21 people, arrested over 4,000 since start of war with US and Israel, UN reports AEI’s Hal Brands: The Iran war is drawing some allies closer to the US Trump says he discussed with Putin a pause in Ukraine fighting Eurasia Review’s Neville Teller: Israel and Lebanon’s complicated talks: Is Hezbollah’s disarmament possible? Taiwan tops Beijing's agenda for Trump-Xi summit Bloomberg’s Karishma Vaswani: A battle of the drones looms between China and Taiwan Two Jewish men stabbed in latest U.K. antisemitic attack Pentagon says military operations in Iran cost $25 billionIn The News
Israel
Israel has intercepted aid ships bound for Gaza in international waters near Greece, flotilla organisers said on Thursday, decrying the move as an “escalation of Israel’s impunity”. – Reuters
Israel is preparing to sell a stake of as much as 30% in its two largest defense companies this year to help fund the nation’s expanding military spending. – Bloomberg
President Trump is renewing his pressure campaign on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling Axios in an interview that Herzog could become a “national hero.” – Axios
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir hailed this generation of IDF soldiers as the greatest since the 1947-1949 War of Independence during a visit to the 36th Division in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said his new alliance with opposition leader Yair Lapid will hold and enable the opposition bloc to form a long-lasting government to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unveiling in a Wednesday interview with The Jerusalem Post his “Israeli Renaissance” plan to bring one million olim (new immigrants) to Israel over the next decade. – Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again denied that he held a “guidance meeting” with former Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber on Bezeq, as his testimony in the Jerusalem District Court was cut short by a security call at the Kirya on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged US President Donald Trump to limit ongoing negotiations with Lebanon to a two- to three-week window ending in mid-May, during a call late Wednesday, Israel’s Channel 12 (N12) reported. – Jerusalem Post
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Section 56(b) of the Counterterrorism Law authorizes the seizure of ships and other property intended for use in terror activity, as a flotilla bound for Gaza continues its voyage after departing Spain earlier this month. – Jerusalem Post
The US State Department informed Congress this month that the Palestinian Authority has not ceased making payments to the families of security prisoners and slain attackers, despite having reformed its system of cash transfers awarded in accordance with the amount of time served behind Israeli bars. – Times of Israel
Earlier on Thursday morning, an interceptor was launched toward a suspicious aerial target that was identified in the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon. The interceptor was visible from northern Israel, arousing concern among parents whose children were already on buses en route to school. – Artuz Sheva
Editorial: The Knesset writes laws. The courts apply them. When the system locks up, the president is supposed to find the way out. Herzog is finding it. The maximalists on both flanks would rather the country remain frozen than accept a resolution that fails to humiliate the other side. The Jerusalem Post rejects that logic. Six years is enough. A negotiated ending that bars Netanyahu from office and registers his admission of wrongdoing is not a betrayal of justice. It is justice arriving in the only form still available. Herzog deserves the country’s full support. He has ours. – Jerusalem Post
Avi Shafran writes: But Rabbi Goldstein isn’t alone in worrying that Pope Leo may be turning the clock back. Perhaps Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, its bombing of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the current U.S.-Israeli war against Iran have changed the Vatican’s views. But Israel has always been besieged and threatened and has always used its military might to counter mortal enemies. The rabbi’s final words were poignant. Jews “pray each day for the end of war,” he noted. Isaiah foretold that a day will come when “one nation would not lift up sword against another” and that “death will vanish in life eternal,” and on that day, “God will wipe away tears from all faces.” […] Pope Leo’s sermon and Rabbi Goldstein’s response may be simply a blip in the relations of Catholics and Jews that have improved so much over the past 60 years. But they may mark a more lasting and more dangerous turn toward enmity. – Wall Street Journal
Barrry Shaw writes: Qatar cutting Hamas off will likely encourage the Iran-aligned faction, despite the negligible amount of support a battered Tehran can currently offer, not to mention the bad publicity. There remains one wild card – Erdogan. A place for them may be opening up in Ankara, with Turkey offering sanctuary in exchange for more regional influence, all this under the umbrella of Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace. For now, the arrangement remains tentative. The amount of tangible support flowing to Hamas is unclear. Despite the infamous fog, this war has an intensely clarifying effect. It answers the fundamental questions: what you stand for, who your enemies are, and who your friends are. Even when the guns stop firing and life returns to normal, those understandings remain. Watch this situation closely. – Arutz Sheva
Iran
Just weeks after President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz “COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS” only to see ship traffic stall, the administration is now asking other countries to join a new international coalition that would enable ships to navigate the waterway. – Wall Street Journal
An Iranian football federation delegation, including a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said they turned back at Toronto’s main airport this week, citing their treatment by Canadian immigration, and are set to miss a pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver. – Reuters
At least six ships – a fraction of the usual traffic – have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed on Wednesday, while the U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked over coming to terms that would re-open the crucial waterway. – Reuters
The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s U.S.-Israeli war, the U.N. nuclear agency’s leader told The Associated Press. – Associated Press
Iran’s national rial currency dropped to a record low Wednesday while a U.S. naval blockade has increased pressure on its already battered economy amid a fragile ceasefire. – Associated Press
US Central Command has asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, seeking a longer-range system to hit ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country. – Bloomberg
The US is seeking forfeiture of two Iran-linked oil tankers seized by naval forces enforcing a blockade against the Islamic Republic, according to a senior administration official. – Bloomberg
Sanctioned tankers disguised as Iraqi vessels are moving hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian crude as President Donald Trump doubled down on the port blockade to squeeze Tehran’s oil lifeline, according to maritime intelligence. – Fox News
President Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, two sources with knowledge tell Axios. – Axios
On Wednesday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) revealed that Iran had executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 over the last two months, following the launch of joint US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. – Algemeiner
Mohsen Rezaei, a high-ranking adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, declared on Wednesday that the United States has reached a “complete deadlock” in its dealings with Tehran and issued strong warnings about the consequences of any renewed military conflict. – Arutz Sheva
Hal Brands writes: There’s still ambivalence aplenty. Officials in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi know that the US would prefer to quit the Middle East; they aren’t happy that Washington and Israel started a war in which Gulf countries, especially the UAE, have paid a heavy price. They also know that geography makes Iran an unpleasant fact of life; don’t be shocked if they eventually renew a diplomatic dialogue with Tehran. In a fraught, violent region, two insurance policies may be better than one. The Trump era is changing US alliances; it is testing some severely. But the war has had wide-ranging effects across a global alliance system, because countries everywhere still must answer the basic question: Do they have a better choice? – Bloomberg
Lisa Daftari writes: A serious Iran strategy therefore begins with getting the Iranian people back online. We need Starlink terminals, and Psiphon and VPN licenses funded at scale and pushed through diaspora networks already built for the job. Treasury designations should target Chinese and European firms selling Tehran its surveillance apparatus with secondary sanctions teeth that actually bite. The US should amplify every image, video and voice that makes it past the firewall, so that Iranians inside the country know the world is watching. This costs a fraction of a single B-2 sortie. It targets the regime’s legitimacy and aligns American power with the 92 million people the mullahs have spent almost five decades lying about. The regime has told us how to defeat it. The Iranian people are waiting to tell their story. Our job is to make sure the world hears it. – New York Post
Mike Evans writes: Fifth, there is an unprecedented partnership between Israel and the United States. This is not just diplomacy; it is alignment of purpose. Intelligence cooperation, military strength, and shared values are creating pressure that Tehran cannot escape. This is a geopolitical force and a spiritual one that cannot be dismissed. In Tehran, a clock counts down to Israel’s destruction in 2040. But they are watching the wrong clock. The real countdown is already underway. The hourglass has been turned. October 2028 is not just a date; it is a line in history. The ayatollahs believe they are permanent. Every empire in history has believed the same thing, right before it fell. The Persian people will reclaim their nation. And the world will witness the end of a regime whose time has finally run out. – Jerusalem Post
Russia and Ukraine
President Trump said Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a pause in military action in Ukraine during a phone call. – Wall Street Journal
The annual Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square featuring intercontinental ballistic missiles, armored vehicles and goose-stepping soldiers has become the centerpiece of President Vladimir Putin’s decadeslong rule of Russia. – Wall Street Journal
Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said on Wednesday, amid a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment. – Reuters
Russia plans to stay in OPEC+ despite a decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, expressing hope that the alliance of oil producers would continue to operate amid turmoil in the global energy market. – Reuters
Another oil facility deep inside Russia was reportedly on fire Wednesday after what Ukraine’s president claimed was his country’s latest long-range drone attack. – Associated Press
Ukraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine’s defense minister claimed. – Associated Press
The head of the organization overseeing a treaty banning nuclear testing warned Wednesday that if the United States, Russia or any other nation goes ahead with a test, other nations will follow. – Associated Press
Pentagon officials confirmed the release of $400 million in funds for Ukraine that already had been authorized by Congress, after the top Senate Republican overseeing defense spending criticized Pentagon leaders for withholding the money. – Bloomberg
Russia has built what human rights investigators describe as a global pipeline recruiting vulnerable foreign nationals into its war against Ukraine, drawing tens of thousands from more than 130 countries through what groups allege are coercive, deceptive and in some cases trafficking-like practices. – Fox News
Ukrainian arms makers are racing to align with NATO standards, aiming to unlock export and coproduction opportunities in the West, a company getting local startups ready told Business Insider. – Business Insider
As the diplomatic war of words between Jerusalem and Kyiv over stolen Ukrainian grain escalated this week, a senior Israeli diplomat met with Russia’s ambassador while declining to make time to meet with the European Union envoy, two foreign diplomatic officials told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. – Times of Israel
Alexander Gabuev writes: The good news is that Europe can effectively deter the Kremlin, with or without America. In the scenario we played, for example, there were cheap and quick solutions that would make a Russian invasion far less likely, such as placing World War I-era minefields and fortifications along NATO’s border with Russia and Belarus. These could be combined with 21st-century instruments like the much-discussed drone wall on NATO’s eastern flank and perhaps the most potent weapon of all, resolve. That is all feasible. But time is of the essence: The most dangerous period, as I vividly learned playing Mr. Putin, may soon be upon us. – New York Times
Lebanon
More than 1 million people in Lebanon are expected to face a food insecurity crisis in the months ahead as a result of renewed conflict and mass displacement, a global hunger monitor said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The former Lebanese president who once signed a short-lived deal with Israel ending decades of a state of war now says the time is right to try again. – Associated Press
Lebanese authorities detained the former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon on corruption charges shortly after he arrived in the country, officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Multiple hostile aircraft infiltrated Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday morning, as the Hezbollah terror group continues violating a US-declared ceasefire between Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon. – Arutz Sheva
Neville Teller writes: The diplomatic track with Israel is designed to create the conditions in which the argument for Hezbollah’s independent arsenal erodes, and full state control becomes politically feasible. […] Trashing Leiter’s portrayal as propaganda, Hezbollah refuted the suggestion that Lebanon is “united” with Israel against it. As for the Lebanese government, it has neither endorsed nor repudiated Leiter’s impression of the situation. The question is: regardless of whether it is totally accurate, is it “true” in the sense of reflecting where Lebanon and Israel actually stand? – Jerusalem Post
Assaf Orion writes: Although full rapprochement may require years of work and a change of government in Israel, the possibility of European forces operating in Lebanon means that Jerusalem must maintain good dialogue with donor countries on relevant political, military, and intelligence issues. Finally, until UNIFIL leaves, the IDF must dramatically improve its conduct toward UN personnel. In the past year, Israeli forces have been involved in dozens of serious incidents, including casualties among peacekeepers. The IDF has explained most of them as mistakes, but they still reflect disciplinary and professional problems—not to mention a strategic shortsightedness that will only deepen the damage to Israel’s international standing in the world. – Washington Institute
Gulf States
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from OPEC did more than deliver a shock to the cartel that has long ruled the global oil market. It also rang the opening bell for the new geopolitical order that the war with Iran is ushering in across the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
OPEC+ will likely agree a small oil output quota hike on Sunday despite the loss of the lion’s share of its exports due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the exit of a key member, the United Arab Emirates, three sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. – Reuters
The United Arab Emirates is reassessing its role and contributions across multilateral organisations but is not considering any further withdrawals at this time, a UAE official told Reuters on Wednesday, a day after Abu Dhabi announced its withdrawal from OPEC. – Reuters
Russia wants to boost its food and fertiliser exports to the United Arab Emirates and jointly develop a grain exchange servicing trade between members of the BRICS group of developing nations, its deputy prime minister said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Greece said on Wednesday it had agreed with Qatar to bolster cooperation in areas including trade, energy and defence, extending a deal first struck in 2024. – Reuters
Editorial: If a mediator is found to be manipulating a global court for political ends, then that mediator must be treated as a hostile actor rather than a diplomatic partner. The battle for the future of Israel is being fought as much in the chambers of the Hague as it is on the front lines. The world must choose whether it wants a functioning system of international law or a system that serves as a weapon for those who host and fund terrorism. Israel has already made its choice, and Israel will not be a pawn in a Qatari intelligence operation. It is time for the rest of the world to catch up. – Jerusalem Post
Middle East & North Africa
A surveillance drone flying near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was shot down, Iraqi security sources said early on Thursday. – Reuters
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the peace process aimed at ending Turkey’s decades-long conflict with Kurdish militants was progressing in a “positive atmosphere”, after criticism from pro-Kurdish lawmakers. – Reuters
A group of Australian women and children who left a camp in Syria that houses people with alleged ties to Islamic State group militants are stuck in the country because Australian authorities have refused to allow their return, Syrian officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Syria’s interior minister on Wednesday said the country detained an Assad-era general accused of involvement in the 2013 Ghouta chemical attack. – Agence France-Presse
Veysi Dag writes: The Kurds could be perceived as a unique partner and asset in Israel’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East. A constructive Israeli policy toward the Kurds could help mitigate Turkey’s malign influence while ensuring that the Kurds do not become further isolated or pushed into the hands of any nefarious actors. It remains to be seen whether Jerusalem will translate its positive rhetoric toward the Kurds into actionable cooperation and continue to regard the Kurds as “natural allies,” as Israel’s foreign minister has stated, or whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold the extended hand of friendship to the Kurds, as he has previously indicated. – Jerusalem Post
Gol Kalev writes: Over the last two years, we witnessed visible miracles; the Jewish nation fended off a simultaneous physical assault coming from Iran and its proxies, and a brutal ideological assault coming from Europe. The ability to not just survive, but thrive through those insurmountable challenges, was duly noted by Israel’s Arab neighbors, who, unlike Europe, now wish to benefit from the crisp light coming from Zion, not to oppose it. Israel thrives because it is anchored by the ideology of Zionism, just like the United States thrives because it is anchored in the ideology of Americanism. Those sister ideologies are grounded in faith, particularity, nationalism, and conviction. The strength of such a bond could now bring sustainable peace to the Middle East and beyond. – Jerusalem Post
China
Shares of Chinese rare-earth producers jumped, after Beijing said it is seeking to tighten controls on production of the minerals used in everything from cars to defense equipment. – Wall Street Journal
China’s factory activity held up in April, suggesting limited pressure from surging energy prices due to the conflict in the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
For 23 million Taiwanese, the most consequential diplomatic meeting of 2026 may be one to which they are not invited. When U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Beijing next month, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has made clear that Taiwan will sit at the top of his agenda, a stark departure from their South Korea meeting last year, where he deliberately set the issue aside. – Reuters
Beijing rolled out new trade rules this month that have alarmed U.S. businesses and which analysts say could seriously undercut American efforts to reduce supply chain dependence on China. – Reuters
China will take countermeasures against the European Union and companies if substantial changes are not made to the EU’s proposed “Buy European” act and revised cybersecurity rules, a Chinese diplomat told reporters on Wednesday. – Reuters
Beijing is banning all drones within city limits starting May 1. The Chinese capital’s city government passed a series of ordinances in late March banning drone sales and flights, although users have long been blocked from flying drones within the city. – Associated Press
Stephen Buono writes: Finally, the U.S. government needs to sell the lunar project to the American people more effectively. Artemis missions won’t matter if voters think the moon is yesterday’s achievement. This isn’t a replay of 1969. It’s a contest over governance, access to critical resources, and the ability to establish infrastructure that will determine economic and military activity in space for generations. Washington must make the case in terms the public appreciates: power, prosperity and security. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman sounded the alarm during his confirmation hearing last year: “This is not the time for delay, but for action, because if we fall behind, if we make a mistake, we may never catch up.” Despite the success of Artemis, there’s a risk that his fears are already being realized. – Wall Street Journal
Karishma Vaswani writes: Taiwan is beginning to move in that direction, including tentative cooperation with Ukraine on tech exchanges and manufacturing links. It’s worth noting that China’s strategy is not always fail-proof. Days after Lai’s trip was blocked, Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, travelled to Eswatini as his envoy. This was a timely reminder that while Beijing can complicate efforts to engage internationally, it can’t fully shut them down. Through diplomacy or with drones, China is doing all it can to squeeze Taiwan. The island has to scale up fast to respond. – Bloomberg
South Asia
The heinous rape and murder, in August 2024, of a young doctor who was resting in a hospital seminar room between shifts unleashed a storm of rage, leading to a criminal inquiry that expanded into broader investigations into potential systemic corruption. – New York Times
A little more than a year ago, the government’s military was on the back foot in Myanmar ‘s bloody civil war, pushed out of great swaths of the country’s north by an alliance of seasoned militias, and forced into defensive action around the rest of the country by other established groups and new pro-democracy guerrillas. – Associated Press
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a slight edge over his main rival in the key Indian state of West Bengal, exit polls from the closely contested election showed, giving the ruling party the chance to govern the region for the first time ever. – Bloomberg
Bobby Ghosh writes: The recategorization formally recognizes that Pakistan’s economic life now runs through the Gulf. This does open up some real opportunities for Islamabad. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have money, ambition, and an emerging appetite to underwrite south-south development. The bank’s new Riyadh hub will channel some of that. Pakistan stands to benefit—if its government can show itself to be deserving of more consideration than other borrowers among its new cohort. But the cost is also real. Pakistan has traded the discomfort of being graded against fast-growing neighbors for the more acute discomfort of being graded against neighbors at war. It has traded a regional grouping where the dominant narrative was India’s rise for one where the dominant narrative is the Strait of Hormuz. The opportunity, Pakistan can pursue; the exposure, it has to live with. – Foreign Policy
Asia
An interim report into last year’s Bondi Beach mass shooting on Thursday advised increased security around Jewish public events and further gun reforms among 14 initial recommendations, but found Australia’s legal and regulatory frameworks did not hinder security agencies in preventing or responding to the attack. – Reuters
A Cambodian appeals court on Thursday upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha for his treason conviction, his lawyer said, another blow to an opposition decimated by the ruling party’s long-running crackdown. – Reuters
New Zealand’s Court of Appeal on Thursday denied convicted Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant’s bid to appeal his convictions, ruling his attempt to overturn guilty pleas for the country’s deadliest mass shooting was “utterly devoid of merit”. – Reuters
The Philippine House justice committee on Wednesday found probable cause to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, moving a step closer to a process that could derail her bid to become the next president. – Reuters
Taiwan has activated backup communications for its northernmost territory, the remote and strategically located island of Dongyin, after poor weather conditions apparently shifted the wreckage of a ship onto an undersea cable causing it to break. – Reuters
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to be released from a Bangkok prison next month after a Justice Ministry panel decision to grant him parole, the Corrections Department announced on Wednesday. – Associated Press
Germany and the Czech Republic denied requests for Taiwan President Lai Ching-te to transit through Europe earlier this month, dooming his last-minute effort to circumvent a China-backed blockade of his first diplomatic trip to Africa, people familiar with the matter said. – Bloomberg
Editorial: Vietnam is ripe for another review of its status. Several U.S. multinationals and business groups, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, argue that the non-market economy designation is outdated. The change would empower reformers inside Vietnam’s government who are trying to enshrine property rights and enact transparency laws. Recognizing Vietnam’s liberalization could also help pull the country further out of China’s orbit. Hanoi has long tried to balance relations between the superpowers, under an approach known as “bamboo diplomacy.” President Donald Trump has an easy opportunity to bend the bamboo further in America’s direction. – Washington Post
Editorial: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the dangers of vulnerable supply chains and the need to anticipate future disruptions rather than react hurriedly to upheavals and dislocations. Accordingly, the Trump administration is working to make supply networks more resilient because they undergird the economy. The specific purpose of the economic zone in the Philippines is to make America’s supply of critical minerals more secure. The Philippines has significant reserves of copper, cobalt, nickel, and chromite, and the new base will protect this supply and expedite its use. Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, says it will “fuse American expertise in institutions and legal regimes — to include internationally enforced contracts, transparent regulatory standards, and expert dispute resolution — with enhanced access” to the Philippines workforce, mineral endowments, energy resources, and strategic position. It will be a “hub for industrial cooperation, shared growth and economic security, he added, noting, “We are doing new things because we are in new times.” – Washington Examiner
David Fickling writes: The global petroleum industry is counting on robust consumption growth in Asia to justify the investments it will make over the coming years. But the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is giving consumers and governments in the region compelling reasons to seek out alternatives. The decision of the United Arab Emirates this week to quit OPEC is yet another reason to defect since it’s likely to erode the ability of the cartel to stabilize prices, leading to more volatility for importers. With China’s exports of solar panels, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries all surging in March, a superior energy system is waiting in the wings, ready to be adopted. Europe’s oil demand never recovered from the shocks of the 1970s. If the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t end soon, a yet more dramatic transformation awaits in Asia. – Bloomberg
Europe
President Trump said Wednesday he is considering whether to remove some American troops from Germany after its leader criticized the U.S. campaign in Iran. – Wall Street Journal
Two Jewish men were seriously wounded by a knife-wielding assailant in north London in what police described as a terrorist attack, the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents in Britain. – Wall Street Journal
German and Spanish inflation climbed again in April to multiyear highs as tensions in the Middle East continued to drive up energy prices. – Wall Street Journal
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that the country was facing a “deeply concerning” wave of violence against Jewish residents after a stabbing in north London, which followed more than a dozen attacks that are being investigated over possible links to Iran. – Washington Post
With the flow of energy through the Middle East still mostly blocked and oil prices rising, policymakers in Europe are confronting the immediate impact of higher costs and trying to decipher the potential economic damage of a prolonged conflict. – New York Times
A man accused of carrying out arson attacks on properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain was “recruited, instructed and promised payment” by an account on the Telegram messaging app that communicated in Russian, prosecutors said on Wednesday. – New York Times
Their faces daubed with camouflage, the troops emerge almost silently from a forest with Colt C7 rifles slung across their chests. They scan their surroundings for potential threats. – Associated Press
The European Union warned the continent may spend years grappling with fallout from the US-Israeli war in Iran, signaling that an energy price spike will not abate soon. – Bloomberg
Slovakia’s Supreme Court upheld a 21-year prison sentence for Juraj Cintula for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico, ruling the act a terrorist attack, Slovak TASR news agency reports. – Bloomberg
Two Jewish men were stabbed in London on Wednesday by a knife-wielding terrorist — and an Iranian regime-backed group has claimed responsibility for the antisemitic attack – New York Post
Leaked remarks from Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. suggesting Washington’s “one true special relationship” is with Israel — not the United Kingdom — have sparked political backlash in London. – Fox News
A young Jewish man was arrested in Rome on Wednesday for allegedly shooting and lightly wounding two left-wing demonstrators with an airgun on Saturday at a rally celebrating Liberation Day, which marks the anniversary of the end of World War II in Italy. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Ms. Lampert also cites the rise of the Green Party and its “horrendous anti-Zionist and Jew-hating candidates.”Last month the Telegraph reported that a WhatsApp chat for the Greens featured such contributions as calling Jews “an abomination to this planet” and speculating as to whether the ambulance attack was a false flag operation. One of the party’s candidates at Newcastle reasons that “it takes serious effort not to be a tiny bit anti-Semitic.” This alliance between the Corbynist hard-left and Islamist violence threatens not only the Jews, but Albion itself. – New York Sun
Sven Alkalaj writes: The event highlighted the country’s historical tradition of coexistence and mutual respect among religious communities. Finally, sustainable stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be achieved through the empowerment of nationalist actors who weaken state institutions, but through strengthening democratic governance, rule of law, judicial independence, anti-corruption efforts, and equal protection of all citizens within a European framework. Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves to be understood as a sovereign, pluralistic European state – not as an instrument in imported ideological narratives or geopolitical contestation. – Jerusalem Post
Niccolò Comini writes: Instead, it should have two-year rotating regional memberships with a two-thirds supermajority voting mechanism. This would help overcome the indecision that has tarnished Europe’s deterrence and global positioning for decades. It is a weakness that Vladimir Putin has exploited before, in 2008, 2014, and 2022, when European hesitancy confirmed to him that the continent’s collective will collapses under pressure, and he will not hesitate to exploit it again. A European Security Council could reverse this negative trend. Europe does not lack the military weight or the economic power to matter on the world stage; it lacks the institutional spine. Building that spine now, before the next crisis, is the only responsible choice. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Jason Israel, Anatoly Motkin, and Hanna Myshko write: The exercise also highlighted Ukraine as giving a critical, and often underutilized, advantage. Its battlefield-driven innovation, rapid iteration of electronic warfare and countermeasures, scalable production, and real-time adaptation to Russian tactics offer a model for operating in precisely the kind of contested environment examined here. Integrating Ukraine’s experience into NATO planning and capability development could help close the gap between the pace of the threat and the speed of alliance action. The final question raised by the exercise remains unresolved: from the Kremlin’s perspective, are these actions already part of a war against NATO? If so, the challenge is not only how the alliance responds to electronic warfare incidents, but whether it can adapt its decision-making, learn from Ukraine’s frontline experience, and act with sufficient speed and unity. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Africa
A South African court on Wednesday ordered the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe to pay a large fine and said he would be deported for pointing a toy gun at someone and breaking immigration laws. – Reuters
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the second leadership change at the petroleum regulator in four months, the presidency said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Malian forces are back in control of a town on the Niger border that Islamic State-linked insurgents entered this week, residents said on Wednesday, as they pushed to regain control of territory following coordinated attacks over the weekend. – Reuters
A series of reversals suffered by Mali’s Moscow-backed military government has dented Russia’s image as a self-styled security guarantor in Africa and threatens its strategic and economic interests on the continent. – Reuters
Somalia said on Wednesday its military killed 22 al Shabaab militants including a commander in an operation carried out in the country’s Lower Shabelle region alongside foreign troops. – Reuters
Nigerian troops killed at least 18 Islamist militants and destroyed several insurgent enclaves in coordinated operations across Borno state, the military said on Wednesday, as security forces intensify pressure on Islamist groups in the northeast. – Reuters
Kenya’s Equity Group is seeking acquisitions in Angola, Zambia and Mozambique to tap fast growth driven by infrastructure development and rich mineral resources, its chief executive said on Wednesday. – Reuters
France has urged its nationals in Mali to leave “as soon as possible” following coordinated attacks at the weekend, including in the capital Bamako, a travel advice update for the West African country said. – Reuters
Madagascar has detained a former French serviceman accused of taking part in a plot to destabilise the Indian Ocean island, including by inciting security forces to mutiny and sabotaging infrastructure to cause nationwide blackouts, authorities said. – Reuters
Khaled Abdulgader noticed children using an unusual object as a football and tried to stop them. He grabbed it, and it exploded in his hand. He lost two fingers, and shrapnel sliced into his chest. – Associated Press
A pro-Russian activist accused of backing a failed coup in Benin appeared in court Wednesday in South Africa over separate charges of attempting to illegally leave that country with the help of a member of a far-right white nationalist group. – Associated Press
Hundreds of South Africans took to the streets of Johannesburg on Wednesday to protest high levels of illegal immigration, which has fueled tensions between locals and foreign nationals. – Associated Press
The war in Iran is fueling a resurgence in maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, according to a European Union naval force patrolling the region. – Bloomberg
The Americas
Brazil’s Senate on Wednesday rejected the nomination of Solicitor General Jorge Messias for an open seat on the Supreme Court, making President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the first leader in more than a century to have a top court nominee rejected by Congress. – Reuters
U.S. National Energy Dominance Council Director Jarrod Agen will travel to Venezuela on Thursday to meet with energy and mining executives and government officials, the White House said on Wednesday. – Reuters
A first-of-its-kind international conference on moving away from fossil fuels wrapped up in Colombia Wednesday with a clear message: the global conversation has shifted from whether to phase out oil, gas and coal to how to do it, with financing emerging as one of the biggest obstacles. – Associated Press
Argentina’s Javier Milei emphasized his support for an embattled member of his government, standing proudly by a cabinet chief embroiled in the type of corruption scandal he vowed to eradicate upon taking office. – Bloomberg
North America
The U.S. charged the governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state and other officials with drug trafficking, sparking a diplomatic dispute with the country’s federal government amid rising pressure to fight powerful cartels. – Wall Street Journal
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday announced a rule that all federal work projects use steel from Mexican companies, after attempts to reach a deal to lift U.S. steel tariffs failed. – Reuters
Family members of victims of one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in U.S. court on Wednesday, alleging the company knew eight months before the attack that the shooter was planning it on ChatGPT but did not warn police. – Reuters
Mexico’s Sinaloa State Governor Ruben Rocha on Wednesday denied U.S. Justice Department allegations of links to the Sinaloa Cartel, labeling the charges as politically motivated. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department accused China of violating Panama’s sovereignty over a port dispute in the Central American nation, triggering another fierce back-and-forth on Wednesday as the Chinese government called the Trump administration hypocritical. – Associated Press
Cuba’s top diplomat accused Washington of trying to manufacture a pretext for toppling the government in Havana after US senators failed to limit Donald Trump’s ability to use military force against the island. – Bloomberg
South Korea’s Hanwha Group said it will partner with Canadian auto parts firms to build armored vehicles if it wins a contract to build a new submarine fleet for Canada. – Bloomberg
B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released its 2025 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, documenting a continued rise in anti-Jewish hate across the country and identifying what it describes as a sustained national crisis. – Arutz Sheva
United States
How to protect the president in the event of a White House attack isn’t a topic the government typically wants to discuss in public, but Trump administration officials are offering an unusual window into national-security planning as part of their bid to save the construction of President Trump’s planned ballroom. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump is leaning toward endorsing Rep. Andy Barr in the Kentucky Senate race, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that would put Trump at odds with Elon Musk and several of his own allies, who are backing one of Barr’s opponents. – Wall Street Journal
A federal jury in Virginia on Wednesday delivered a mixed verdict in the trial of an Afghan man accused of helping plot a terrorist bombing outside the Kabul airport during the August 2021 American withdrawal. The jury found the man guilty of aiding a terrorist group but deadlocked on whether to hold him responsible for the deadly attack itself. – New York Times
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to kick off their trip to New York City on Wednesday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, as the royals continue their four-day state visit to the United States. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump and his top officials met with oil and gas executives including Chevron CEO Mike Wirth at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the energy fallout of the Iran war and other topics, Axios reported on Wednesday. – Reuters
King Charles III gathered leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies to encourage US-UK investment, as he swung through New York as part of a state visit aimed at shoring up ties between the two allies. – Bloomberg
The United Nations must deal with its shrinking budget and narrow the scope of its mission, a leading contender for the UN secretary general job said as the US has yet to back a candidate. – Bloomberg
Five former US officials criticized the Pentagon for not publicly addressing possible American involvement in the deadly strike on a school in Minab, Iran, during Operation Epic Fury, the BBC reported. – Jerusalem Post
A Jewish man was attacked outside a synagogue in Los Angeles in what police are investigating as a possible hate crime, authorities said this week. – Arutz Sheva
Nia-Malika Henderson writes: The royals aren’t done yet. The king and queen will get to see America and Americans up close in visits to New York City and Virginia. In New York they are scheduled to commemorate 9/11, meeting with first responders and families of victims. King Charles will visit a sustainable farm that uses gardening as a mentoring opportunity. And Camilla will attend an event celebrating literacy, including the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh. In Virginia, the royal couple will attend a block party, a performance by Appalachian cultural groups and visit Arlington National Cemetery. Unfortunately, the royal visit to the nation’s capital, their first and possibly their last, left much to be desired. It reflects an incurious first couple who failed to see the richness and vibrancy of the city beyond their walls. – Bloomberg
Miranda Devine writes: Which brings us to another troubling point: the danger of President Trump traveling to China next month. Optically, it’s a win for President Xi, with Trump the biggest prize in a conga line of world leaders paying their respects to the Chinese autocrat. But this is the country that gave us COVID-19, hid the evidence, and got away with it. Trump is the only obstacle between Xi and world domination. China has every motivation in the world to do our president harm and is clever enough to do it with plausible deniability. All it would take is to infect Trump with something that takes effect a month later when he’s back on home soil. Who would ever know for sure? If he must meet Xi in person, let it be in a neutral third country. – New York Post
Eli Lake writes: After its first indictment of James Comey was dismissed in November, the Justice Department is back for another round. This time they are charging the former FBI director with two counts related to threatening the life of the president. That may sound like a grave accusation. But the actual “crime” described in the indictment is a joke. The indictment says Comey posted a photo on Instagram “which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47.’ ” The indictment then says a “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret [this] as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.” – The Free Press
Cybersecurity
The White House opposes a plan from Anthropic to expand access to its powerful artificial-intelligence model Mythos, complicating the rollout of an AI tool capable of carrying out cyberattacks and sowing widespread disruptions online. – Wall Street Journal
Meta has failed to implement needed safeguards to keep children under the age of 13 off Instagram and Facebook in violation of a European Union online safety law, officials said on Wednesday. – New York Times
Manus, an artificial intelligence start-up, began with an idea among three engineers in Wuhan, China, united by an obsession with A.I. and a shared ambition to build a global venture. From the outset, they looked beyond China. – New York Times
Australia’s financial system regulator said on Thursday the country’s banks were not keeping pace with AI industry developments, warning frontier AI systems such as Anthropic’s Mythos had the potential to lead to larger and faster cyber attacks. – Reuters
European banks need to be given access to Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence model, Mythos, if they are to shield themselves against the threat of cyberattacks powered by this new breed of programmes, one of Germany’s top financial regulators told Reuters. – Reuters
The growth of data centers — and adversaries’ targeting of them — left lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday contemplating whether the federal government has the right setup for defending them. – CyberScoop
At least nine scam centers in Dubai were raided in a joint operation between U.S. and Chinese law enforcement agencies that led to 276 arrests. The Justice Department said the operation began last year following “numerous” victim complaints to the FBI by U.S. victims who lost millions through cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. – The Record
The House on Wednesday voted to renew a law that allows the government to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreigners, though its fate in the Senate is unclear. – The Record
Defense
U.S. military operations in Iran have so far cost taxpayers roughly $25 billion, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers. The number, which will likely grow as operations in the Middle East continue, marks the first time since the conflict began two months ago that the Pentagon has disclosed a precise estimate. – Wall Street Journal
In his first public testimony since the war in Iran began two months ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly sparred with Democrats over his handling of the war and management of the Pentagon. – Wall Street Journal
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will depart the Middle East and begin the sail for home in coming days, multiple U.S. officials said, an expected relief for roughly 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months — but a loss of significant firepower as peace talks between the United States and Iran stagnate. – Washington Post
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Wednesday that US forces successfully redirected 42 commercial vessels attempting to breach the maritime blockade on Iran. – Arutz Sheva
The peace of the idyllic cove, where palm trees fringed a golden beach, was suddenly shattered by the launch of rockets from an American HIMARS. – Defense News
The U.S. military will soon have a new sub-unified command focused on autonomous warfare, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday. – DefenseScoop
The U.S. government is modernizing its Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs to get after contemporary warfare and national security gaps, senior officials involved in the work said on Wednesday. – DefenseScoop
The Marine Corps is preparing to deploy Marines on specialty platforms like the Expeditionary Fast Transport and the Expeditionary Sea Base to meet combatant commander demands in the Caribbean, a top general said Wednesday. – USNI News
The U.S. Air Force and Space Force would shift their research and development funding away from early-stage work and toward the end of the development pipeline under the fiscal 2027 budget request released this month. – Aerospace America