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Daily Brief

Daily Brief: US–Iran War Widens as Trump Opens New Trade War With Canada
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta patrols the Arabian Sea while enforcing the US maritime blockade on May 18, 2026. (US Navy/CENTCOM)
Daily Brief

Daily Brief: US–Iran War Widens as Trump Opens New Trade War With Canada

President Donald Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on most Canadian goods, overriding protections previously available under the North American trade agreement and reopening a potentially devastating dispute with the United States’ second-largest trading partner. The announcement came as the United States carried out a ninth consecutive day of
By Olga Nesterova • 7 min read
Daily Brief: US–Iran War Expands as Ukraine’s Government Shake-Up Draws Protests
US forces approach sanctioned vessel MT Davina in the Indian Ocean on June 4, 2026. The image does not depict Thursday’s operation involving Iran. (USINDOPACOM/Courtesy)
Daily Brief

Daily Brief: US–Iran War Expands as Ukraine’s Government Shake-Up Draws Protests

The United States expanded its strikes deeper into Iran on Thursday, Ukraine installed a new prime minister amid protests over the dismissal of its defense minister, and Canada committed nearly C$2 billion to expanding its domestically produced armored vehicle fleet. Elsewhere, more than 500 people are feared dead following
By Olga Nesterova • 4 min read
Middle East Brief: The Hormuz Standoff Returns the Region to War
A U.S. military aircraft prepares for operations connected to strikes on Iranian military targets, July 12, 2026. Credit: U.S. Central Command / Department of Defense.
Daily Brief

Middle East Brief: The Hormuz Standoff Returns the Region to War

The United States and Iran exchanged another round of attacks across the Gulf over the weekend, effectively dismantling the short-lived diplomatic framework that was supposed to create 60 days for negotiations. U.S. Central Command said it completed its latest wave of strikes against Iranian coastal surveillance systems, missile
By Olga Nesterova • 7 min read
NATO Day Two: Billions for Ukraine, an Alliance Rearming — and a New War Escalating Beside It
Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press encounter with President Trump at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara
Daily Brief

NATO Day Two: Billions for Ukraine, an Alliance Rearming — and a New War Escalating Beside It

NATO’s Ankara summit ended with a firm declaration of collective defense, major new weapons commitments and a two-year military support pledge for Ukraine. But the summit’s final hours were dominated by a different conflict: renewed American and Iranian strikes, the apparent collapse of their ceasefire framework and
By Olga Nesterova • 5 min read
NATO Summit Day One: Trump Questions the Alliance as Allies Build Around Ukraine
PM Mark Carney walks with President Erdogan at the NATO Summit in Ankara | Photo: shared by Carney on X
Daily Brief

NATO Summit Day One: Trump Questions the Alliance as Allies Build Around Ukraine

The first day in Ankara has produced two sharply different visions of NATO: one focused on rebuilding the alliance to confront an increasingly coordinated group of adversaries, and another questioning why the United States should remain so deeply invested in European security at all.
By Olga Nesterova • 14 min read
America Turns 250, Russia Strikes Kyiv, and Canada Deepens Its Indo-Pacific Push
"The Patrouille de France flying over the Statue of Liberty. What a symbol. 250 years of shared history." | Photo shared by President Macron on X
Daily Brief

America Turns 250, Russia Strikes Kyiv, and Canada Deepens Its Indo-Pacific Push

Good evening. The United States is preparing to celebrate its 250th birthday this weekend with major events across Washington, New York and cities throughout the country. But the festivities are arriving alongside extreme heat, extensive security operations and — particularly in New York — an extraordinary concentration of major events. Here is
By Olga Nesterova • 11 min read
ONEST Brief: Hormuz Opens Carefully, Europe Prepares for NATO, and the Iran Deal Meets Reality
President Donald Trump meets NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, June 24, 2026 | Screenshot from official White House livestream.
Daily Brief

ONEST Brief: Hormuz Opens Carefully, Europe Prepares for NATO, and the Iran Deal Meets Reality

Hormuz Is Moving Again, But the Dispute Is Shifting Oman has established a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the International Maritime Organization. The move comes as maritime traffic begins cautiously returning. Three previously stranded supertankers passed through the Strait on Tuesday, while seven empty
By Olga Nesterova • 6 min read