Navigating the Trump era

TEHRAN – The specter of Nixon’s "Madman Theory" looms large over Donald Trump’s presidency—a strategy predicated on projecting irrational aggression to force concessions from adversaries. The premise is simple: by making seemingly incredible threats appear credible, a leader can intimidate weaker states and extract maximum strategic and economic-military gains. For Trump, this approach was not just theoretical but a cornerstone of his foreign policy, particularly in dealing with West Asia and China.

Trump says relationship with Musk is over

U.S. President Donald Trump has said his relationship with Elon Musk is over.

By Soheila Zarfam

This Guy Has No Will for a Deal

TEHRAN – Despite five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump seems less interested in diplomacy with Iran and more invested in keeping tensions alive.

Trump issues sweeping travel ban targeting 19 countries, including Iran

TEHRAN – In a move widely seen as part of a broader anti-immigration agenda, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order imposing a complete travel ban on nationals from 12 countries—including Iran—and introducing partial entry restrictions on citizens from seven others.

Trump and Musk’s relationship flames out just as intensely and publicly as it started

Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s alliance took off like one of SpaceX’s rockets. It was supercharged and soared high. And then it blew up.

John Delury

South Korea’s new president could transform the Korean Peninsula

How Lee Jae-myung Can Push Trump and Kim Back to Real Diplomacy

The debilitating political vacuum that has reigned in Seoul since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment on December 14 has finally ended. On June 3, Lee Jae-myung won South Korea’s presidential election by a decisive margin. Lee, a liberal who narrowly lost the country’s last election to Yoon, has promised to fix both his society’s broken politics and its mounting economic problems with a domestic agenda that includes improving conditions for workers, shoring up the public sector, and boosting growth in strategic areas such as AI and defense.

North Korea says US 'Golden Dome' risks 'space nuclear war'

North Korea has criticized the U.S. plan for a futuristic "Golden Dome" missile shield, saying it could "turn outer space into a potential nuclear war field", BBC reported.

Trump administration moves to cut $100 million in federal contracts for Harvard

The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million, a senior administration official said Tuesday, intensifying the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, AP reported.

Federal judge blocks Trump admin from barring foreign student enrollment at Harvard

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting off Harvard’s enrollment of foreign students, an action the Ivy League school decried as unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House’s political demands, AP reported.

US will put weapons in space as part of ‘Golden Dome’ plan

United States President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have laid out their clearest plan yet for the “Golden Dome” missile defense program, which would include putting weapons in space for the first time, Al Jazeera reported.

After Trump call, Putin says ready to work on truce memorandum

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have spoken on the phone for more than two hours amid efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in the war in Ukraine.

By Seyed Mehrdad BaniHashemi Kahangi

Trump 0.2 in Riyadh: Oil, arms, and a shadow over Iran

Donald Trump’s recent visit to Riyadh may have been described as a business trip, but in the world of West Asia politics, symbolism often speaks louder than press releases. For many in the region, his presence in Saudi Arabia felt like the opening act of a broader geopolitical maneuver—one with potential consequences that extend far beyond the Persian Gulf.

By Amir Hossein Saremi

Growing rift between Trump and Netanyahu

TEHRAN - The tensions between Trump and Netanyahu are growing day by day during Trump’s second presidential term. At the beginning of his presidency, Trump lifted the arms export bans imposed by the Biden administration and provided Netanyahu with the heaviest and most lethal bombs, so they could, as he put it, “finish the job.”

Ayatollah Khamenei expounds on US president's West Asia trip

'You might not be there without US'; This is Trump's model for Arab states

TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, met with a number of teachers and educators from across the country on May 17, 2025, in the Imam Khomeini (ra) Hussainiyah.

Senators seek to block Trump’s UAE, Qatar defense deals

A group of United States senators is trying to halt $3.5bn in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar over concerns that the deals will personally benefit the family of U.S. President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reported.

Trump suggests US ‘take’ Gaza, make it ‘freedom zone’

President Trump on Thursday suggested the U.S. would look to take control of the Gaza Strip and turn it into a “freedom zone,” highlighting one of his more controversial foreign policy proposals during a visit to Qatar, according to The Hill.

Sanctions relief would unlock ‘immediate’ nuclear agreement, Shamkhani says to NBC

TEHRAN – Ali Shamkhani, a political advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, delivered a public roadmap for U.S.-Iran reconciliation in an interview with NBC News, emphasizing Tehran’s readiness to formalize a nuclear agreement if Washington addresses the “Bibi effect.”