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Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei is alongside Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Mohsen Ejeie, and Hezbollah representative in Iran Abdallah Safieddine reading the Koran during the Friday prayer ceremony on October 04, 2024 in Tehran.
Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei is alongside Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Mohsen Ejeie, and Hezbollah representative in Iran Abdallah Safieddine reading the Koran during the Friday prayer ceremony on October 04, 2024 in Tehran.

Iran Dangerously Misunderstands Its Situation

Tehran thinks it has negotiations with the United States under control. The results could be catastrophic. This article has an audio recording

Inside Iran’s Post-Massacre Power Struggle

The state has consolidated by purging its connections with the public.

What War With Iran Would Look Like

Decapitation strikes against the country are likely. An invasion is not.

Will the United States Attack Iran?

Tehran is threatening to “regionalize the war” if Washington uses force. This article has an audio recording

A worker wearing glasses and a blue cap looks through a piece of equipment in a workshop.
A worker wearing glasses and a blue cap looks through a piece of equipment in a workshop.

How Chinese Espionage Eroded U.S. Power

A conversation with the authors of “The Great Heist” on Beijing’s spycraft—and what can be done about it.

White sacks are shown piled up in rows. A man sits on some of the sacks and leans back.
White sacks are shown piled up in rows. A man sits on some of the sacks and leans back.

How to Actually Fix Foreign Aid

We can’t turn back the clock on USAID. But we can decide what comes next.

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Takeaways from the Munich Security Conference

Wolfgang Ischinger dressed in a dark suit speaks at a lectern in front of a backdrop that features the logos of the Munich Security Conference, the Bayerischer Hof Hotel, and the BR24 news program.
Wolfgang Ischinger dressed in a dark suit speaks at a lectern in front of a backdrop that features the logos of the Munich Security Conference, the Bayerischer Hof Hotel, and the BR24 news program.

‘An Existential Question for Europe’

The Munich Security Conference ends with no new answers on how to end the war in Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany.

A Transcript of Rubio's Munich Speech

In a widely anticipated speech, the U.S. Secretary of State described concerns about a shared Western civilization.

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby delivers a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 12.
U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby delivers a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 12.

Elbridge Colby: ‘NATO Is Actually Stronger Than Ever.’

The Pentagon’s top policymaker answers questions about the White House’s commitment to Europe’s security. This article has an audio recording

FP Columnists

Trump’s Second Term

  • An photo collage illustration shows Donald Trump pointing toward buildings with case falling around them. Semiconductor chips also make up the scene. Red bars overlay the cream-colored background behind the photos.
    An photo collage illustration shows Donald Trump pointing toward buildings with case falling around them. Semiconductor chips also make up the scene. Red bars overlay the cream-colored background behind the photos.

    Trump’s State Capitalism, by the Numbers

  • A picture taken in Goma, on July 25, 2022 shows fire set by protesters burning in front of United Nations Mission for the Stabilisation of Congo (MONUSCO) Headquarters.
    A picture taken in Goma, on July 25, 2022 shows fire set by protesters burning in front of United Nations Mission for the Stabilisation of Congo (MONUSCO) Headquarters.

    The World Minus America Will Be a Mess

  • A photo collage illustration shows the back of President Donald Trump in front of three track hurdles. Behind the hurdles are a stack of shipping containers, soccer stadiums and a passport, and a voter in a U.S.-flagged voting booth.
    A photo collage illustration shows the back of President Donald Trump in front of three track hurdles. Behind the hurdles are a stack of shipping containers, soccer stadiums and a passport, and a voter in a U.S.-flagged voting booth.

    The Biggest Challenges Trump Faces in His Second Year

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Decoding Trump’s China Policy

Critics of the Trump administration’s China policy lament the easing of high-end chip restrictions while balking at the president’s threats of even more tariffs.... READ MORE

Subscribers’ Picks

Russian woman with anti-war sign observed by police in Moscow
Russian woman with anti-war sign observed by police in Moscow

The Puzzling Passivity of Russians

Repression alone cannot explain the vast protest gap between Moscow, Tehran, and Kyiv. This article has an audio recording

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to troops aboard USS George Washington at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on October 28, 2025 in Yokosuka, Japan.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to troops aboard USS George Washington at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on October 28, 2025 in Yokosuka, Japan.

What War With Iran Would Look Like

Decapitation strikes against the country are likely. An invasion is not.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he speaks during an end-of-year press conference in the State Department Press Briefing Room in Washington, DC on December 19, 2025.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he speaks during an end-of-year press conference in the State Department Press Briefing Room in Washington, DC on December 19, 2025.

What Rubio Gets Right (and Wrong) About the Western Hemisphere

Washington needs to compete forcefully in its backyard without relying on force alone. This article has an audio recording

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A man is seen leaning down from a rooftop toward another man on a scaffolding as they work on a building. A minaret of a mosque is seen in the background against a blue sky.
A man is seen leaning down from a rooftop toward another man on a scaffolding as they work on a building. A minaret of a mosque is seen in the background against a blue sky.