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Foreign Policy

  • Who's in charge in Iran?

    2026-03-06

    Ali Larijani is secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), roughly analogous to the U.S. national security advisor. He was appointed by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as minister of culture and Islamic guidance in 1992. Iran's remaining instrument of coercion lies in the vulnerability of the global energy system.

  • An Iranian Civil War Is Not in America’s Interest

    2026-03-06

    Israel's military strategy has been focused, brilliantly implemented and aligned with its goal, says Fareed Zakaria. Whoever may seek power in Iran, this regime will fight back, he says. The Syrian civil war actually improved Israel's security because it did not face a major Arab state.

  • Trump Demands Iran’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’

    2026-03-06

    “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned firepower over Iran was about to “surge dramatically” Israel intensified its military campaigns in Lebanon and Iran on Friday.

  • The Clash of Hypocrisies

    2026-03-06

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s dramatic turn toward unilateralism and aggression has fueled an intensifying debate about the nature of the global order. Critics have emphasized that the unilateral, U.S.-led order was always and irredeemably shot through with hypocrisy. After the Cold War, the new justification for international cooperation came from the promises of free markets and globalization.

  • What in the World?

    2026-03-06

    Muslims in Nigeria protested the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The protests were largely peaceful, but experts warn that war in Iran could make U.N. military personnel and assets in Nigeria targets for militant groups. Scientists documented their efforts to grow chickpeas in moon-like conditions for future lunar missions. Mayor of Houston, Texas, will assume the role of special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative.

  • Ukraine and the Paradox of National Conservatism

    2026-03-06

    Yoram Hazony: At its heart, national conservatism envisions a world of nation-states. He says MAGA’s identification of Ukraine with the liberal establishment in the U.S. and Europe is unfair.

  • Nigel Farage Isn’t So Unlikely

    2026-03-06

    Between the Waves: The History of a Very British Revolution 1945-2016 is a sweeping new biography of modern British politics. It follows the country from its gradual entry into the European political experiment through to its sudden exit. In the process, McTague sheds light on the rise of Nigel Farage, Reform party leader, MAGA ally, and contender to become British prime minister.

  • Amid War, Hezbollah Suffers a Political Defeat

    2026-03-06

    After Hezbollah attacked Israel, Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker endorsed a cabinet decision to outlaw Hezbollah's weapons. Nabih Berri has long functioned as a sort of Hezbollah ambassador to the Lebanese state. Losing Berri would leave Hezbollah exposed politically and militarily at the worst possible time.

  • Disapproval for Iran War Among Experts Is Sky-High

    2026-03-06

    Eighty-six percent of respondents oppose the coordinated strikes, with 70 percent expressing strong opposition. Only 10 percent of the experts support the attack on Iran. Only 4 percent said they neither supported nor opposed the decision. Nearly 23 percent think the conflict will improve the odds of democracy in Iran.

  • Shadow Boxing With the Kremlin

    2026-03-06

    Sean Wiswesser spent 30 years in U.S. spookdom. He recruited Russian intelligence officers, ran them as agents. WiswESSer: The whole story of the post-1991 spy wars is success for NATO countries and their allies.

  • The Winners and Losers of the Iran War, One Week in

    2026-03-06

    In the campaign’s first week, the U.S. and Israeli militaries have attacked some 2,000 targets in Iran. The Iranian military has retaliated by firing of hundreds of missiles and drones against neighboring countries and Israel. The focus in Ukraine has been not on offensive weaponry but on defensive weaponry.

  • No, Israel Did Not Compel the U.S. to Wage War on Iran

    2026-03-06

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has offered a striking explanation for why the United States attacked Iran. He said Washington “knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” anticipated that Iran would retaliate. Wars are tragic precisely because they reflect deliberate choice.

  • China Won’t Play Security Patron for Iran

    2026-03-06

    China has rapidly modernized its military, but it still lacks the U.S. alliance network, regional force posture, combat experience. China's posture toward Iran reflects a different conception of power, says Wang. Washington is increasingly tempted to treat ordinary Chinese commercial presence as a latent threat.

  • The Dangerous Rise of Decapitation Warfare

    2026-03-06

    Israel has assassinated more people than any other country in the Western world, writes Ronen Bergman. Bergman: U.S. targeted killings of alleged terrorists rose from 48 under President George W. Bush to 353 under President Obama.

  • Chile Bids Goodbye to Boric

    2026-03-06

    The U.S. and Ecuador step up anti-drug cooperation. Chile’s left wing is young and “capable of learning from its own errors. Netflix has pursued diverse offerings from Colombia.

  • How the Iran War Could Consolidate China’s Energy Dominance

    2026-03-06

    Oil and gas prices have jumped since the United States and Israel struck Iran last weekend. China, as the world’s largest oil and LNG importer, would seem the most exposed, and the most likely to be hurt by this shock. Beijing has already ordered refiners to curb fuel exports to protect domestic supplies.

  • Friedrich Merz Gets Real

    2026-03-06

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz didn’t condemn the attacks on Iran as a violation of international law. Frida Ghitis: Few Western European leaders are stating the case with the same clarity. Peter Bergen: Polls show that a comfortable majority of Germans approve of higher defense spending.

Politico

  • EU blasts Zelenskyy over veiled threat against Orbán

    2026-03-06

    Brussels issues rare condemnation of Ukraine’s president, as the Budapest-Kyiv feud boils over. EU member countries have been spooked by stubbornly high prices and a new war in the Middle East.

  • Von der Leyen doubles down in face of energy crisis criticism

    2026-03-06

    The tiny island nation finds itself under fire just after taking over the reins of the EU for a six-month stint. EU member countries have been spooked by stubbornly high prices and a new war in the Middle East.

  • ECB faces agonizing trade-off if Iran war persists

    2026-03-05

    The longer the war lasts, the worse the effects are likely to be, the Bundesbank president says. The findings come as the ECB is facing legal action from its staff union over alleged curbs on free speech.

  • All March EU meetings in Cyprus rescheduled or made virtual

    2026-03-06

    Nicosia wants European partners to step up in defense of the Mediterranean island, as Iranian drones menace the region. Government in Nicosia will make a formal diplomatic complaint and didn't rule out renegotiating the status of British bases in Cyprus.

  • Farage heads to Mar-a-Lago as Starmer-Trump relations plummet

    2026-03-06

    Mauritius is ‘exploring legal avenues’ after U.S. President Donald Trump opposed its £3.5 billion Chagos agreement with the U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is eager to take on complaints from liberal-minded colleagues.

  • Iceland to hold Aug. 29 referendum on reviving EU membership talks

    2026-03-06

    Montenegro, the front-runner for EU membership, could join under stricter conditions. Icelanders will have the chance to decide their future once and for all, the prime minister said. Iran’s strikes are depleting air defense stocks that Ukraine desperately needs.

  • Russia to return to iconic Venice art exhibition after 4-year absence

    2026-03-06

    Nine European Commission departments pan the Industrial Accelerator Act. The Venice Biennale says it is “a space of truce” where art prevails over geopolitics. Washington’s new blueprint says European allies should take the lead on regional threats.

  • POLITICO owner Axel Springer buys Telegraph for £575M

    2026-03-06

    Friedrich Merz said nothing as Donald Trump launched a wave of verbal attacks. The machines are rising in other parliaments, so surely an AI MEP is next on the list.

  • Kosovo heads to elections again after failed presidential vote

    2026-03-06

    Kosovo's decision not to back President Vjosa Osmani marks the end of a key political alliance in Kosovo. The ultra-polluting sector says the EU’s carbon price is putting it out of business.

  • Ukraine accuses Hungary of seizing cash and gold shipment, detaining bank staff

    2026-03-06

    Prosecutors say individuals in Belgium are raising money to buy guns and ammunition. Moscow argues the Council of the EU committed “serious violations” of its own procedures. He has brought together three center-left parties to boost his run to be prime minister.

  • Germany’s pro-business liberals risk death blow in regional vote

    2026-03-07

    Alternative for Germany is capitalizing on rising economic anxiety. The Free Democratic Party has played a key role in German politics for most of the postwar era. A poor result in a state vote on Sunday could mean its demise.

  • UK cops arrest 4 in Iran spying probe

    2026-03-06

    Metropolitan Police say the men are suspected of scoping out “locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community” in London. U.S. president says the military base — subject of a controversial new British lease agreement with Mauritius — may need to be used to head off an attack by Iran.

LRT

  • Russia spends millions to recruit war veterans into paralympic sports – investigation

    2026-03-06

    At least 70 participants in the invasion of Ukraine are already members of national teams in various Paralympic sports. No fewer than 700 are in regional teams. Billions of rubles are being spent in the country to involve former servicemen in the Paralympics.

  • Five men charged in Lithuania over parcel arson plot linked to Russian intelligence

    2026-03-06

    Lithuanian prosecutors have charged five men in a terrorism investigation involving incendiary devices sent through parcel delivery companies. The suspects range in age from 23 to 69. Five other suspects are currently on trial in Poland, while another five have been placed on international wanted lists. Investigators identified 22 individuals believed to have acted in the interests of Russian intelligence services.

  • Lithuanian intelligence says Baltic Sea infrastructure incidents were not sabotage

    2026-03-06

    Intelligence officials warned that the region’s underwater infrastructure remains vulnerable. Accidents caused by a combination of factors – poor weather, technical malfunctions, or negligence in maritime operations – cannot be ruled out. Russia has increased security for its ‘shadow fleet’

  • Lithuanian conservative lawmaker resigns amid agricultural agency corruption probe

    2026-03-06

    Conservative lawmaker Kazys Starkevičius announced Friday that he is resigning from the Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament. His resignation comes amid a pretrial investigation into possible corruption at the State Plant Service. His seat will be taken by former lawmaker Angelė Jakavonytė, who served in the previous parliament.

  • Intelligence report: Lithuania-registered firms used to bypass sanctions, access tech

    2026-03-06

    Russian and Belarusian-linked actors have used businesses in Lithuania to evade sanctions and acquire sensitive technologies. Such schemes often involve reviving companies that have had little or no recent business activity. One case cited in the report concerns BK Software, a Vilnius-based firm.

  • Lithuanian intelligence says Russia won’t threaten NATO while Ukraine war continues

    2026-03-06

    Lithuanian intelligence agencies say Russia's ability to pose military threats to other states will remain limited. Russia is unlikely to catch up with Western countries in high-tech sectors, but its resilience to sanctions could increase. Belarus is attempting to reduce its international isolation by strengthening ties with China.

  • Kaziuko mugė opens in Vilnius with more than 1,500 vendors

    2026-03-06

    The traditional St Casimir Fair opened Friday in Vilnius. It is one of the country’s largest annual cultural events. The fair is being held along Gedimino Avenue and nearby streets. 2027 will mark 200 years since Lithuanian merchants first secured the right to hold a three-day market in Cathedral Square. The fair itself dates back several centuries, when residents of Vilnius held a procession to welcome a papal banner.

  • Second flydubai flight brings more stranded Lithuanians home from Middle East

    2026-03-06

    A second flydubai flight carrying Lithuanian citizens stranded in the Middle East landed in Vilnius on Friday morning. Some returning Lithuanians said they received sufficient information and assistance from government institutions. Others criticised the response but said they had been waiting for a chance to return. An evacuation flight from Dubai on Friday is expected to bring back about 100 Lithuanians.

  • LRT English Newsletter: How we learned to love the bombing

    2026-03-06

    Around 2,000 Lithuanian citizens are currently in the region – more than 1,000 of them in the UAE alone. Lithuania's Foreign Ministry and National Crisis Management Centre are already working on plans to bring more of them home.

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Paul Krugman

  • Where's My Golden Age?

    2026-03-06

    A bad morning for jobs and a bad week for energy. A brief reflection on a bad day for jobs. A short look at what's happening in the energy sector. A quick look at some of the issues facing energy companies.

  • Renewable Energy and National Security

    2026-03-06

    Donald Trump’s attack on Iran will have many unintended and unforeseen consequences. One consequence is that Trump has made a strong new case for renewable energy. The current situation in the Middle East is essentially the worst-case scenario for world energy supplies. The U.S. war against Iran is making a strong case for nations around the world to seek energy independence. For those nations that don't have large fossil fuel reserves, that means wind and solar (and, yes, nuclear)

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