Global
Putin Didn’t Know How Good He Had It
The Russian leader has gotten the world he wished for—and it’s threatening to crush him.
Trump’s Gaza Plans Are Profoundly Unserious
Conditions on the ground call for immediate humanitarian relief, not gauzy real-estate fantasies.
Does America Really Want to Pick a Fight With Greenland?
Remote, frigid, desolate, and armed to the teeth: Greenland isn’t planning on submitting to Donald Trump.
What Iran’s Dead Loved and Fought For
A young woman’s online diaries about cinema and literature have become her epitaph.
The Fall of the House of Assad
A detached ruler, obsessed with sex and video games, refused every lifeline he was offered.
The Iranian Hedgehog vs. the American Fox
The American and Iranian leaders are complete enigmas to each other—and the asymmetry in their beliefs is driving the crisis between their countries.
An Early Test of America’s Control Over Venezuela
The fate of Venezuela’s political prisoners could reveal how much power the Trump administration really has.
America Can Have the Oil
Venezuela’s riches were squandered, souring many on national stewardship.
The Islamic Republic’s Predatory Contract With Its People
No one would agree to the terms that Iran’s regime has forced on its citizens.
What I Saw in Mashhad
Visiting Iran during the unrest in January, I found the accounts of both state and opposition media to be exercises in cognitive dissonance.