Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel warns Tehran district to evacuate as residents flee Iran’s capital Commentary Magazine’s Seth Mandel: The world had 30 years of Israeli restraint and failed to stop Iran Iran looks to Trump and nuclear talks as escape hatch as attacks intensify Washington Examiner’s David Harsanyi: Iran is nothing like the Iraq War Russia is churning out attack drones. Ukraine is feeling the impact. Russia fears Israel’s conflict with Iran could cost it another Mideast ally CSIS’ Riley McCabe: Aid cuts make peace negotiations in Ukraine less likely Russian presidential security official Shoigu arrives in North Korea, reports TASS UK widens national security remit in a step toward NATO target Terrorism threat grows in West Africa as U.S. turns away Trump leaves G-7 summit early over growing tensions in Middle East Pentagon expands Middle East response as Israel, Iran trade strikesIn The News
Israel
The Israeli military said an entire Tehran neighborhood should evacuate ahead of planned strikes there, as residents of Iran’s capital piled onto roads heading north to seek shelter from the fourth day of bombardment. – Wall Street Journal
On Friday, Ron Reiter’s apartment building in Tel Aviv suffered a direct hit by an Iranian ballistic missile. The high-rise was just a five-minute walk from the new office of Sentra, a data-security startup where Reiter is a co-founder and chief technology officer. – Wall Street Journal
Oil prices rose again Tuesday morning in Asia, as markets weighed the odds of a resolution in the Israel-Iran conflict. Crude prices bounced as news of fresh attacks rolled in, including another wave of Iranian missiles launched at Israel and more Israeli strikes on Iran. – Wall Street Journal
Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles at Israel early Monday, hours after the Israel Defense Forces said it was striking surface-to-surface missile sites in central Iran, as the conflict entered a fourth day. – Washington Post
Israeli strikes targeting Iranian energy production facilities, manufacturing plants and aviation signaled the start of a wider and more intense phase of the conflict Sunday, as Israeli war planes pursued new targets deeper in Iran’s cities and towns. – Washington Post
Israel’s military said on Tuesday it had killed Ali Shadmani, who it identified as Iran’s wartime chief of staff and said was the most senior military commander. – Reuters
The Group of Seven nations expressed support for Israel in a statement, issued late on Monday and labeled its rival Iran as a source of instability in the Middle East, with the G7 leaders urging broader de-escalation of hostilities in the region. – Reuters
France shut down the main Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow on Monday for refusing to remove attack weapons from display, sparking a furious response from Israel and inflaming tensions between the traditional allies. – Reuters
Israel’s Haifa-based Bazan Group said all refinery facilities have been shut down after a power station used to produce steam and electricity were significantly damaged in an attack by Iran, according to a regulatory filing on Monday. – Reuters
Four days into their war with Iran, Israelis are shaken and anxious, yet remain resilient, still backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to confront a longstanding foe. – Reuters
Roughly 24 hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a blistering assault on Iran, Israel’s opposition was scheming to bring down his government. Now, just days into the ongoing operation against Iran, the opposition has closed ranks behind the effort, suspending months of bitter criticism against Netanyahu and his handling of the war in Gaza. – Associated Press
While no opinion polls have been released yet, the Israeli public — and even Netanyahu’s rivals in the opposition – appears to be lining up behind the military operation in these early days. – Associated Press
Israel will pursue its military operations against Iran regardless of the progress of any potential negotiations involving the US, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. – Bloomberg
More than two-thirds of Israelis back their country’s airstrikes against Iran, though fewer than a quarter believe it’s possible to end the threat seen from Tehran’s nuclear program without US assistance, an opinion poll found. – Bloomberg
Israeli law demands that all homes and industrial buildings built since the early 1990s have shelters, but for years they were an afterthought, often used as an extra storage room and packed with extraneous belongings. Now, Israeli citizens have had little choice but to ready the tiny rooms for long stays. – CNN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday didn’t rule out targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, just hours after reports emerged that President Trump nixed a plan by Israel to take out Khamenei. – The Hill
The State Department is warning against travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza amid the conflict between Iran and Israel. – The Hill
A U.S. Embassy branch in Tel Aviv was slightly damaged due to shock waves from Iranian missiles that hit the city, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. – The Hill
Iranian barrages of hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel since the opening of direct hostilities overnight Thursday have taken a steep toll on the country, with 24 people killed and nearly 600 injured by the unprecedented bombardment. – Times of Israel
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid urged Israelis to obey Home Front Command directives regarding taking shelter on Monday, after his son’s home was damaged in an overnight Iranian missile barrage.- Times of Israel
Israel is gearing up to start operating special flight schedules to help bring home more than 100,000 of its citizens stranded abroad since the outbreak of intense hostilities with Iran early Friday.- Times of Israel
A Hamas tunnel that ran underneath the European Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, where the terror group’s leader Muhammed Sinwar was killed in a strike, has been sealed with concrete, the military says. – Times of Israel
The chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, tells officers today that they’ll soon “break ground” in other areas of Iran, after the IDF “paved the way to Tehran.” – Times of Israel
A cell of Iranian soldiers who fired anti-aircraft missiles at an Israeli Air Force drone over Iran was killed in a strike yesterday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin reveals in a press conference. – Times of Israel
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar stepped down overnight into Monday, marking the end of 35 years of service in Israel’s defense establishment. The agency’s deputy chief, identified as S., is temporarily filling the role. – Haaretz
A senior Palestinian official involved in negotiations on a cease-fire in Gaza told Haaretz that Israel’s war with Iran is not advancing a deal with Hamas, but rather prompting the group to harden its position. – Haaretz
All navigation applications have been shut down in Israel as a result of Iranian strikes on residential centers throughout Israel, a senior military officer said on Monday. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF on Monday published recordings from the operation that retrieved the bodies of hostages Yair Yaakov and Aviv Atzili both from Kibbutz Nir Oz, as operations continued across the Gaza Strip. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF issued a warning for Israeli civilians to stay close to shelters ahead of an expected launch from Iran on Monday evening, Earlier in the day, Iranian missiles triggered sirens across northern Israel; however, the missiles failed to strike any targets. – Jerusalem Post
Five people were lightly wounded on Tuesday when a fragment of an Iranian missile hit a bus in a parking lot in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. – Arutz Sheva
The Haifa Police opened an investigation late Monday night following reports of photographers who gathered to film the Haifa Port from the balcony of a hotel room in the city. – Arutz Sheva
Seth Cropsey writes: The U.S. could finally establish a stranglehold on oil export to Asia, thus providing significant leverage over China. The U.S. has a unique opportunity to gain a potentially decisive advantage against Russia and China. To seize it, Mr. Trump would strengthen U.S. security immeasurably by allowing Israel to finish the job against Iran, if necessary applying American power to this end as well. – Wall Street Journal
Walter Russell Mead writes: Iran has been weakened, but it remains Israel’s most formidable foe. Israeli air power, however effective, may not be sufficient to achieve the country’s full goals in the war. In this campaign Bibi will deserve the one thing he knows he won’t get: the wholehearted support of the West. America’s security will be bolstered if he wins and badly undermined if he fails. Let us hope he prevails. China and Russia will be watching this one closely. – Wall Street Journal
Anne Bayefsky writes: If and when reconvened, this U.N. conference will hand terrorists a key win and fuel antisemitism on a global scale. There could not be a starker contrast between phony U.N. posturing about “peace” or “human rights” and the courage of the Israeli people forced to defend themselves and avoid nuclear war for everyone’s sake. – Washington Examiner
Robert Wood writes: It remains a fact that those UN member states that have influence with Hamas have made a strategic decision not to use it. The hesitancy of many countries over the years to publicly condemn Hamas as a terrorist group has only given it the oxygen it needs to carry on, no matter how much death and suffering Palestinians in Gaza continue to experience. To end this war, Hamas must disarm and disband. There will not be peace in Gaza until it does. Gazans deserve an opportunity to live in peace and to seek a prosperous future. Hamas’ continued rule will bring them neither. – Fox News
Efraim Inbar writes: The world should thank Israel for finally taking the initiative to rid the region, and far beyond, of the Islamist Iranian nuclear threat. For too many years, the West has suffered from an ostrich-like tendency to ignore the Islamist menace from Tehran. Israel does not expect gratitude – only to be spared hypocritical criticism for taking the necessary steps to ensure its survival. – Jerusalem Post
Amil Imani writes: Israel’s fight is Iran’s fight. Netanyahu’s vision is not just the destruction of a nuclear threat but the liberation of a people. The ayatollahs have brought Iran to its knees, but Israel has given it a sword. “Your light will defeat the darkness,” Netanyahu told Iranians, and they are answering. The regime’s days are numbered, its lies unraveling, its terror crumbling. This is the hour of reckoning, when Iran’s ancient glory will rise again, hand in hand with Israel, as brothers in freedom. The thunder of rebellion rolls; the Islamic Republic will fall. – Arutz Sheva
Clayton Seigle writes: So far, Israel has limited its attacks against Iranian energy assets to localized fuel storage and minor natural gas nodes. […] Israel may ratchet up this approach with attacks on Iranian oil refineries, which are also relatively isolated from global markets, and more strikes against natural gas facilities. If they do, the resulting shortages of electric power and gasoline could contribute to an Iranian capitulation while leaving global energy markets relatively unscathed. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Seth Mandel writes: In all those years, presidents of both parties engaged Iran diplomatically over its nuclear program. Such an offer of diplomacy remains on the table. It is self-discrediting to ask “Why didn’t they try diplomacy?” It is self-discrediting to claim that this war is a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s “obsession.” The record is crystal clear: Thirty years of restraint were rewarded with violence and subterfuge. And so those 30 years of restraint have come to a close. – Commentary Magazine
Iran
With Iran’s air defenses shredded, allies sidelined and its arsenal of missiles dwindling, the country’s theocratic leaders face the prospect of having to submit to a tougher negotiation on their nuclear program as their only way out of a worsening situation. – Wall Street Journal
Iran has been urgently signaling that it seeks an end to hostilities and resumption of talks over its nuclear programs, sending messages to Israel and the U.S. via Arab intermediaries, Middle Eastern and European officials said. – Wall Street Journal
The escalating conflict between Iran and Israel has cyber experts concerned that cyberattacks could spill over into places conventional weapons never would. Iran has been a significant cyber threat for years. The U.S. has said hackers linked to the country have broken into critical infrastructure systems in Israel and other Middle Eastern and Western nations. – Wall Street Journal
As Iran’s president gathered his cabinet on Sunday afternoon to praise the armed forces for their performance, Tehran residents were filling their social media feeds with pictures and videos of fresh Israeli airstrikes that had destroyed buildings.- Washington Post
Israel escalated its bombings across Iran on Monday, striking Iran’s elite military force and the nation’s state broadcaster and sending thousands fleeing from Tehran, as its offensive entered its fourth day and showed no signs of slowing. – New York Times
The Israeli military attacked the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster in Tehran on Monday evening, the Israeli defense minister and Iranian media said. Videos and images from the scene showed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting building on fire. – New York Times
President Trump is weighing a critical decision in the four-day-old war between Israel and Iran: whether to enter the fray by helping Israel destroy the deeply buried nuclear enrichment facility at Fordo, which only America’s biggest “bunker buster,” dropped by American B-2 bombers, can reach. – New York Times
As Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian cities, and Iranian forces fired back, Meisam, 41, an Iranian poet and writer, decided it was time to leave Tehran. On Sunday night, he joined the crowds of people fleeing the Iranian capital and headed for his hometown in East Azerbaijan Province. – New York Times
Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear site, Fordo, was built deep inside a mountain to protect it from an attack. Only the U.S. military has the 30,000-pound bomb capable of even reaching it. The bomb is commonly known as a “bunker buster” because it is designed to destroy deep underground bunkers, or well-buried weapons in highly protected facilities. – New York Times
When Israel and Iran clashed last year, they fought in short and contained bursts that usually ended within hours, and both sides looked for off-ramps that allowed tensions to ebb. – New York Times
Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to evacuate Tehran, citing what he said was the country’s rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development. – Reuters
Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Iranian flexibility in nuclear negotiations, two Iranian and three regional sources told Reuters on Monday. – Reuters
European foreign ministers told their Iranian counterpart in a call on Monday to return to nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and refrain from escalating conflict with Israel, to which Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran’s priority was to confront Israel for now, according to a French diplomatic source. – Reuters
Iranian parliamentarians are preparing a bill that could push Tehran toward exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the foreign ministry said on Monday, while reiterating Tehran’s official stance against developing nuclear weapons. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran should have signed a deal with the United States on its nuclear program before Israeli strikes began and that he believes they now want to make an agreement. – Reuters
Iran’s strikes on Israel are self-defense and are “proportionate defensive operations directed exclusively at military objectives and associated infrastructure,” Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the U.N. Security Council on Monday. – Reuters
After Israeli strikes landed near the hotel where he was staying in the Iranian province of Qom, Aimal Hussein desperately wanted to return home. But the 55-year-old Afghan businessman couldn’t find a way, with Iranian airspace completely shut down. – Associated Press
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Monday that there is a possibility of both radiological and chemical contamination within Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli strikes, although radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal. – Associated Press
Iran has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of spying as fears grow in the Islamic Republic over the extent of its infiltration by Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. – CNN
Israel‘s air force destroyed at least two rare Iranian F-14 Tomcats in a strike on Tehran International Airport on Monday, footage published by Israel showed. – Washington Examiner
The Israelis may destroy Iran’s above-ground sites, but North Korea masterminded construction of the underground complexes Tehran will need if it is to stave off defeat. In the end, American bunker-busting bombs will be needed to obliterate them. – New York Sun
A group of prominent dissident Iranian civic leaders and artists, including Nobel Peace Prize laureates and internationally award-winning filmmakers, called on Monday for an immediate end to the Israel-Iran war and a halt to uranium enrichment by the Islamic Republic. – Haaretz
As Israel continues an unprecedented military operation against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly called on Iranians to overthrow their government, going so far as to indicate that his forces’ operations “could certainly” lead to a regime change effort. Now, a number of opposition groups based in the country and abroad are calling for a mass uprising against the Islamic Republic. – Newsweek
US President Donald Trump is expected to present Iran with a “last chance” offer, US and European officials told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: In any event, as Mr. Graham noted Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, “you pay now or you pay later. If we get Iran right and we get peace with Russia, Ukraine, not only do oil prices come down, the world will be better off.” America, Ukraine and Israel would be in a better place if the Biden Administration had understood this, but Mr. Trump can learn from his predecessor’s mistakes. – Wall Street Journal
David Ignatius writes: The Iranian revolution in 1979 was an earthquake whose aftershocks are still rumbling across the Middle East. Israel and the United States were the main targets, but the whole region has suffered. The idea that Iran’s mischief and meddling might gain a permanent nuclear umbrella is intolerable. – Washington Post
Dan Perry writes: A scenario where Trump issues a sweeping ultimatum to Iran, demands the dismantling of its missile and proxy projects, and positions himself as the architect of Iran’s “freedom moment” might fit this brand. What follows could be very interesting indeed. At a moment of grave uncertainty, one thing is not in doubt: Even though a period of chaos may follow a collapse of the regime, the 90 million people of Iran deserve better than the theocratic prison they’ve been consigned to since 1979. – Newsweek
David Harsanyi writes: Perhaps Israel could use help destroying the Fordow nuclear facility, buried deep under the mountainside. Doing so would be in our best interests as well. As of this writing, however, there is no evidence that the U.S. has engaged in any combat missions. The Iranians, thus far, haven’t attacked any American bases in the region because the last thing they need is further pulling us into the conflict. And it’s about time rogue terrorist regimes were terrified of the U.S. again. – Washington Examiner
Mihai Razvan Ungureanu writes: The United States and its allies must now lead a coordinated diplomatic initiative that does not merely seek a ceasefire, but demands something more fundamental: the rollback of Iran’s proxy network, the cessation of support for terrorist militias, and binding constraints on its nuclear program. And yes, we must make clear that the Iranian people deserve better than a regime that has squandered their wealth and heritage on a campaign of regional subversion. – Jerusalem Post
Esther Surkis writes: A regime once sustained by ideological fervor and the ritual of resistance has lost its capacity for strategic thinking and administrative adaptation. Today, it functions as a post-ideological machine—running on inertia, fear, and hope for a miracle. And if salvation is still possible, it can come only from elites willing to choose realism over fanaticism. But even that demands more than mere intent: it requires a subject capable of speaking—and being heard. The real question now is whether such a figure still exists in Iran. – Times of Israel
Yuval David writes: The Palestinianist and Islamist uprisings we are witnessing today are not peaceful protests. They are coordinated pressure campaigns –sometimes erupting into outright violence — meant to intimidate, destabilize, and force compliance with a genocidal agenda. To remain silent is to be complicit. To equivocate is to enable. To excuse is to embolden. – Algemeiner
Erfan Fard writes: Today, Khamenei is hiding like a sewer rat in an underground bunker in northern Tehran. He is the lead actor in the tragicomedy of repeated mistakes—cornered and trapped—possibly only moments away from being eliminated by Mossad, which would finally rid the world of his evil. And patriotic people of Iran will hopefully soon rejoice at the humiliation, weakening, and defeat of Tehran’s dictator. – Arutz Sheva
Michael Rubin writes: The Ukraine-Russia war will soon past its three-and-a-half-year mark. The Sudanese civil war is the world’s bloodiest, and shows no sign of concluding. Hamas will likely survive in some shape or form if its patron Iran does fall. The question Trump should ask is if he believes the United States is better off with four ongoing conflicts, or whether peace and stability would be better served with a short-term and limited military investment. – National Security Journal
Russia and Ukraine
Russia’s mass production of attack drones is raining fear across Ukrainian cities. Moscow sent as many long-range attack drones against its neighbor in the first two weeks of June as it did during whole months last year, straining the country’s air defenses and undermining President Trump’s attempts to secure a peace deal. – Wall Street Journal
As the direct conflict between Israel and Iran stretches into its fourth day, members of the Russian establishment are coming to the realization that it could destroy the country’s closest ally in the Middle East. – Washington Post
More than a month after Ukraine signed a landmark agreement granting the United States a stake in its mineral reserves, Kyiv is striving to show the Trump administration that the deal can deliver swift, tangible results. – New York Times
Russia remains ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, and Moscow’s previous proposal to store Iranian uranium in Russia remains on the table, the Kremlin said on Monday. – Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s “act of force” against Iran and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities when they spoke by phone on Monday, the Kremlin said. – Reuters
Waves of Russian drones and missiles struck districts across the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Tuesday, killing 14 people and injuring 44, according to the interior ministry. The Russian attack struck 27 locations around the capital, damaging residential buildings, educational institutions, and critical infrastructure facilities, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. – Reuters
Russia said on Monday that the United States had cancelled the next round of talks between the two countries, an apparent setback in a process launched by presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to improve bilateral ties. – Reuters
Ukraine received another 1,245 bodies of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia on Monday in the final stage of the repatriation of remains agreed at talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian officials said. – Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday he planned to discuss new weapons purchases for Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskiy, who is visiting Austria, would attend the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Tuesday, where he hopes to meet Trump on the sidelines of the meeting. – Reuters
US President Donald Trump indicated at the Group of Seven summit that he is in no rush to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, dismissing pressure from allied leaders eager to do more to push Moscow to the negotiating table. – Bloomberg
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew pledges of non-military help from neutral Austria on Monday, a day before he was expected to press U.S. President Donald Trump for more military support in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. – Associated Press
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered last week to provide “services” for the “export of excess nuclear material produced by Iran” to aid a larger “negotiation process” to de-escalate the region. Peskov reiterated the offer on Monday as his country seeks to play a mediating role between the Middle East states. – Washington Examiner
The Kremlin responded Monday to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on possible Iranian regime change, issuing a condemnation of the “actions” that have led to escalated tensions between the two Middle Eastern nations. – Newsweek
Riley McCabe writes: A weakened Ukraine with fewer defenses and less ammunition will not give the United States greater leverage to bring Vladimir Putin to the table. On the contrary, Putin has less incentive to negotiate if he believes that U.S. disengagement is inevitable and that Russia will soon gain an advantage on the battlefield. Ultimately, continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine is useful regardless of whether the goal is to enable Ukraine to retake lost territory or a diplomatic settlement along the current frontlines. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Middle East & North Africa
Oman and Qatar were leading efforts to begin ceasefire talks, while mediators said Iran was open to resuming nuclear negotiations if Israel’s attacks stop. – Washington Post
British maritime security firm Ambrey said early on Tuesday the cause of an incident 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz, was not security-related. – Reuters
Wafa Assurance has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Egypt’s Delta Insurance from its current owner Egypt Kuwait Holding Company, as it targets an expansion of its operations in the Egyptian market, it said on Monday. – Reuters
The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have stopped all flights or severely reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or travel home. – Associated Press
Algeria’s parliament approved legislation allowing foreign companies to own as much of 80% of mining projects, a step change for the OPEC country seeking to diversify its economy. – Bloomberg
The three remaining pro-Palestinian activists who boarded the Gaza Freedom Flotilla last week towards the Gaza Strip arrived at the Jordanian border crossing en route to their homes, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, whose lawyers represented the activists, announced on Monday. – Jerusalem Post
Noa Lazimi writes: Israel must continue to respond to Houthi attacks with firmness and consistency, sending a clear message to both the Iranians and their proxies that it is engaged in an all-out war against the axis of evil. Tehran must be made to understand that it cannot rely on its already faltering proxy network to tighten the noose around Israel. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
Russia’s top presidential security adviser Sergei Shoigu was expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after arriving in Pyongyang “on special instructions” from President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Tuesday. – Reuters
South Korea launched on Monday a task force on negotiations with the United States on tariff and non-tariff matters across industry and the energy sector that will also coordinate with the private sector, the Industry Ministry said in a statement. – Reuters
More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been injured or killed while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region in support of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, according to estimates by British intelligence, underscoring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s role as a key ally of President Vladimir Putin in a war now in its fourth year. – Bloomberg
China
Two decades ago, China shocked the United States with its ability to make and ship things fast and inexpensively on a scale never before seen. The resulting surge of exports reshaped America’s economy and its politics. – New York Times
Commerce Department officials weighed new export limits on critical technology going to China ahead of recent trade talks in London, adding to the Trump administration’s arsenal if tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate again. – Wall Street Journal
In China’s campaign to win over hearts and minds worldwide, its latest weapon is a fanged, bunny-eared, arguably quite ugly plushie. The grinning fuzzy toy, called Labubu, is made by a Chinese company and has become a global craze. – New York Times
The Chinese embassy in Israel has urged Chinese citizens to return home or leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible, on grounds that the security situation has deteriorated and Israeli airspace remained closed. – Reuters
China and Kazakhstan exchanged cooperation documents covering trade, investment, tech, tourism and customs on Monday as Chinese President Xi Jinping met Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Beijing’s state-run Xinhua news agency said. – Reuters
China had no comment on a think tank’s report about nuclear weapons which said China had the fastest-growing nuclear arsenals, a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday. – Reuters
China warned the Iran-Israel conflict may spread wider instability in the Middle East, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaching out to both countries as their days-old conflict shows no end in sight. – Bloomberg
Despite deepening their ties with Iran, Russia and China have held back from concrete action amid Israel’s recent attacks, choosing cautious diplomacy over direct support for their supposed partner. – Algemeiner
South Asia
Crash investigators from the United States have reached Ahmedabad to help piece together how one of India’s worst plane disasters unfolded, with Indian government officials saying the cockpit voice recorder had been recovered. – New York Times
India expects to finalise a free trade agreement with the European Union by the end of this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, while Cyprus, which assumes the EU presidency in 2026, said better ties would be its priority. – Reuters
Nepal has begun exporting 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Bangladesh through India’s power grid in its first move into the international energy market and positioning India as a key facilitator of regional electricity trading. – Reuters
Pakistan’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 11% on Monday, in line with expectations, as the conflict between Israel and Iran and volatile global oil prices added upside risks to inflation. – Reuters
Canada and India are reportedly set to announce a new intelligence-sharing initiative after years of bad blood stemming from assassinations in the North American country linked to the Indian government. – Washington Examiner
Asia
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump did not reach a tariff agreement, Fuji TV reported on Tuesday. – Reuters
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed comments by his British counterpart at the G7 that Britain and the United States will proceed with the AUKUS nuclear submarine treaty with Australia, despite a Pentagon review. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department approved a possible foreign military sale to Australia of fighter jet spare parts for $2 billion, the Pentagon said in a statement, adding the principle contractor will be Boeing. – Reuters
Cambodia on Monday said it would stop importing Thai fruits and vegetables if Thailand refused to lift border restrictions imposed following a deadly clash in one of the disputed areas between the two countries. – Associated Press
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first in-person meeting with Donald Trump was canceled after the president decided to leave a Group of Seven summit early to focus on the conflict between Israel and Iran. – Bloomberg
Europe
Unlike Americans, British and others, Germans rarely show warm public support for former or active service members. The nation remains deeply ashamed of its Nazi past. Until Sunday, it had not celebrated an official Veterans Day since it reunified at the end of the Cold War. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said they had finalized a trade deal reached between the two allies last month. – Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at length with U.S. President Trump on tariffs and the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, a French presidential official said on Monday. – Reuters
Cyprus has received requests to assist in the evacuation of citizens of Portugal and Slovakia from the Middle East, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Monday. – Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump had made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. – Reuters
Four uncrewed robotic sailboats, known as “Voyagers,” have been put into service by Denmark’s armed forces for a three-month operational trial. Built by Alameda, California-based company Saildrone, the vessels will patrol Danish and NATO waters in the Baltic and North Seas, where maritime tensions and suspected sabotage have escalated sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. – Associated Press
The British government said Monday it will make it mandatory for the police to record the ethnicity and nationality of suspects accused of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The move is part of an attempt to address long-running accusations that authorities have shied away from properly tackling the issue of race when investigating such cases. – Associated Press
Latvian authorities detained and questioned the leader of a political party catering to the country’s Russian-speaking minority for allegedly inciting hatred in parliament earlier this month. – Bloomberg
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti called on US President Donald Trump to pressure neighboring Serbia into normalizing relations with his country, whose independence Belgrade does not recognize. – Bloomberg
Keir Starmer’s government will shortly publish a new national security strategy that will broaden the scope of what is considered vital to UK interests to include critical domestic industries, crime and the online world, a shift that could help Britain meet a proposed new NATO target on defense spending. – Bloomberg
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday tried to find common ground with Donald Trump by criticizing China’s export restrictions on raw materials used for cars, batteries and wind turbines. – Politico
The European Union wants to breathe new life into a financial practice most commonly associated with causing the 2008 financial crisis as it tries to jump-start banks’ lending to the economy. – Politico
Socialist politicians from Spain’s cities and regions want embattled Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to hold snap national elections in the face of mounting corruption scandals — even though they know their party is virtually guaranteed to lose. – Politico
All NATO’s eastern flank countries are revisiting crisis response protocols for health-care facilities, organizing training exercises, investing in ballistic helmets and vests, and shifting operating theaters underground. – Politico
French President Emmanuel Macron said he still believes Washington could back stronger sanctions against Russia, despite Donald Trump earlier suggesting otherwise. – Politico
Britain and its Western allies are moving too slowly when it comes to adopting new military technologies, a member of the U.K. government’s high-profile defense review team has warned. – Politico
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that diplomacy was ultimately best on Iran, but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. – Times of Israel
Jewish communities across Europe have been targeted in a growing wave of antisemitic incidents amid rising tensions in the Middle East, prompting Jewish leaders to demand stronger government action and greater protection as hostility escalates across the continent. – Algemeiner
Mette Johanne Follestad writes: As a proud but troubled Norwegian, I call on my country to base its foreign policy on reality, rather than self-deception. Norway must declare full support for Israel’s just war against Iran and withdraw its recognition of a terror-supporting PA state until genuine reforms are implemented by the PA. If Norway fails to take these essential and principled steps, it will remain on the wrong side of history. – Jerusalem Post
Africa
Emboldened by their success in the landlocked nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, insurgents affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are moving south toward the Atlantic and into coastal nations such as Ivory Coast. – New York Times
Togo has suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets RFI and France 24 for three months, its communications authority said on Monday, accusing them of a lack of impartiality and rigour. – Reuters
The death toll has risen to at least 45 after three motorized canoes capsized in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lake Tumba last Wednesday, a local official said, as the search for survivors continued. – Reuters
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed legislation that allows military tribunals to try civilians, parliament said on Monday, a move opposition leaders said violates a Supreme Court ruling. – Reuters
Niger’s army has raided jihadist-controlled informal mining sites in the country’s west, killing more than a dozen insurgents and seizing material linked to the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, it said. – Reuters
The death toll from an attack by gunmen over the weekend in north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday as the villagers were still digging through burned homes, counting their dead and looking for dozens of people still missing. – Associated Press
A judge in Mali on Monday ordered Barrick Gold to be placed under provisional administration for six months in an ongoing dispute between the Canadian mining company and the West African nation’s military government over unpaid taxes. – Associated Press
Kenya’s deputy police chief stepped aside on Monday as investigations into the death of a blogger while in custody continue. – Associated Press
An International Monetary Fund mission is in Kenya for two weeks to assess the impact of corruption on public finances, with the findings expected to inform a new program requested by the government. – Bloomberg
The Americas
President Trump could have opened by talking about trade. He could have discussed the wars in the Middle East or the long-running, brutal war in Ukraine. But there was something else that appeared to be top of mind for Mr. Trump during Monday’s meeting in Canada of the leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations: President Vladimir Putin of Russia. – New York Times
Ecuador’s mining ministry announced on Monday the launch of a new registry of concessions for the first time in seven years in an effort to attract more mining projects to the South American country and curb illegal operations. – Reuters
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, who has been hospitalized since he was shot in the head earlier this month during a campaign event, is out of an emergency surgery performed on Monday but is in “extremely critical” condition, the Santa Fe Foundation hospital said on Monday. – Reuters
In a surprise move, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday he had agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump that their two nations should try to wrap up a new economic and security deal within 30 days. – Reuters
Not one suspect imprisoned in Haiti has faced trial after being charged in the killing of President Jovenel Moïse, who was gunned down at his home in the nation’s capital nearly four years ago. – Associated Press
Chile presidential hopeful Carolina Toha stepped up criticism of the other contenders on the center-left during a debate Monday as her popularity fades with less than two weeks to go before a primary. – Bloomberg
Carlos Ruiz Hernández writes: The stakes extend beyond Panama. If the Mulino Doctrine works—if a small state can successfully navigate great power competition through strategic selectivity rather than binary choices—it could offer lessons for other countries facing similar pressures. That would make Panama’s current experiment more than just another episode in isthmian politics. It would make it a test case for sovereignty in the twenty-first century. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
United States
President Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada a day early without new trade deals, after signing onto a joint statement that calls for peace and stability in the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, is leading a push to curb President Trump’s authority to use U.S. forces to engage in hostilities against Iran, as the war between Israel and Iran raises fears of American entanglement in a broader conflict. – New York Times
President Trump has fired a member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the independent federal agency that oversees America’s nuclear reactors. It is the president’s latest dismissal in defiance of job protections established by Congress. – New York Times
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday he has postponed his planned trip to Israel to address its parliament on June 22 because of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. – Reuters
The U.N. human rights chief on Monday urged U.S. authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and refrain from using military force in the context of large protests against President Donald Trump’s actions while in office. – Reuters
The US Department of Justice urged a federal appeals court to overturn a lower court’s order that limits the Trump administration’s use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles in response to protests over the president’s immigration raids. – Bloomberg
U.S. President Donald Trump slammed his “publicity seeking” French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in an excoriating social media post overnight, saying “whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong.” – Politico
President Donald Trump dismissed Tucker Carlson at several points on Monday over Carlson’s comments opposing Trump’s support for Israeli strikes on Iran. – Jewish Insider
Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write: Some Democrats, such as Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, remain stalwart in supporting Israel. And American Jews aren’t united on these questions; many recoil at the tough, direct efforts of the Trump administration and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. But Israel is stepping up to contain the Iranian menace, and Mr. Trump is giving it the support it needs. Jews and those who wish the Jews well should be thankful. – Wall Street Journal
Eli Lake writes: Ultimately, the fortunes of the Trump administration’s restrainers and hawks depend above all else on factors out of their control: the performance of the Israel Defense Forces and the decision of Iran’s supreme leader. Three days into the war, the anxious predictions of the restrainers have not come to pass. Neither yet has the victory hoped for by the hawks. Netanyahu has warned that the war could last “weeks.” The longer that the war lasts, the harder it will be for Trump to keep both sides happy. – The Free Press
Cybersecurity
G7 leaders on Monday steered clear of using overly strong language on keeping AI safe and managing the risks associated with the technology at their summit in Canada. – Politico
As spring gives way to summer, a wave of cybercrime crackdowns has taken root, with law enforcement and private security companies directing a surge of takedowns, seizures, indictments and arrests. – CyberScoop
Scattered Spider, the loose-knit cybercrime collective that recently ran roughshod over U.K.- and U.S.-based retailers, has pivoted once again, setting its sites on insurance companies, according to Google Threat Intelligence Group. – CyberScoop
Two House Democratic leaders are asking a government watchdog to dig into two federally-funded initiatives to catalog software flaws and vulnerability data in light of their recent troubles. – CyberScoop
The U.S. State Department said they were seeking information on Iranian hackers who they accused of targeting critical infrastructure using a strain of malware deployed against industrial control systems. – The Record
Keir Giles, a prominent British researcher on Russia, announced this weekend that several of his email accounts had been targeted “with a sophisticated account takeover” by hackers impersonating the U.S. State Department. – The Record
Tiffany Smiley writes: Why not flip Meta’s age verification proposal? Meta and other social media companies have demonstrated that they can use age verification technology to serve ads to children. Lawmakers could compel the company to use the technology to keep children off its platforms instead of identifying advertising targets. With real consequences, Meta would be forced to make meaningful changes to its products. Meta has made its priorities clear. Now it’s up to lawmakers to decide if they want to side with Big Tech or America’s children. – Washington Examiner
Anna Broughel and Christina Balocki write: Finally, to fully achieve sustainability, we must address the current knowledge gap surrounding the impacts of launch and re-entry emissions. The US government should fund targeted atmospheric sampling missions to gather data on these particles in the upper atmosphere and evaluate their environmental impacts. By proactively addressing space sustainability, the United States can lead globally, safeguarding critical space assets and Earth’s environment. Protecting space means protecting our daily lives. – The National Interest
Defense
The Pentagon is expanding its military presence in the Middle East and Europe in response to worsening hostilities between Israel and Iran, U.S. officials said Monday, sending refueling planes and an additional aircraft carrier among the resources dispatched. – Washington Post
A former Coast Guard lieutenant was recently arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump, according to court documents obtained by Fox News. – Fox News
The future looks murky for Navy shipbuilding due to budgetary uncertainty amid lagging ship production, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said at a June 10 hearing. – Defense News
The U.S. military has moved additional ships and tanker aircraft into the Middle East and hurried a carrier to the region, officials have confirmed to Military.com, as Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile barrages and threaten to plunge the region into war. – Military.com
Rober Maginnis writes: This conflict is a wake-up call. A regional war can now ripple across the globe—destabilizing economies, shifting alliances, and testing American credibility. If the United States retreats, powers like China and Russia will fill the vacuum with destabilizing influence. At this strategic crossroads, America must demonstrate that strength and restraint can coexist—that diplomacy is not weakness, and deterrence is not provocation. The United States possesses the tools, alliances, and principles to guide the world through this crisis. What remains essential is the will to lead. – Fox News