The hottest World Politics Substack posts right now

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How the World Just Changed. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 375 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Iran Geopolitics War U.S. Politics Security Political media
  1. A U.S.-Israel strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader has set off a week of intense retaliation across the Middle East, including attacks that killed U.S. service members. The conflict’s duration and who will rule Iran next are still deeply uncertain.
  2. The war is reshaping U.S. politics, with Trump firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and publicly splitting from Tucker Carlson, exposing fractures in the right-wing movement. These fights could change presidential politics and media alliances.
  3. The crisis has big global stakes: it shifts the regional balance of power, ties into broader U.S.-China competition, and raises the risk of wider war or civil conflict in Iran depending on succession and opposition forces. Analysts warn that internal divisions, like the Kurdish factor, will be crucial to how the situation unfolds.

Killing Khamenei: Regime-Change Roulette in a Powder-Keg World

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 407 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Security Nuclear policy Middle East Military Strategy Energy markets Arms Control
  1. A US–Israeli decapitation strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader removed a key figure but probably won’t guarantee the regime’s collapse. Iran’s overlapping institutions mean it could become a harder-line military junta, descend into a messy power struggle, or wage prolonged resistance.
  2. The attack undercuts arms-control credibility and signals that diplomacy may not protect states, so regional powers are likely to race to build, harden, and disperse nuclear or other deterrent capabilities. That incentive structure makes proliferation and future crises more likely.
  3. This war has no clear endgame, strains US military resources needed to deter rivals elsewhere, and risks serious economic disruption by threatening oil routes like the Strait of Hormuz. It also normalizes leader-targeting and preventive decapitation tactics, increasing the chance of catastrophic escalation.

Will Singapore Be the Winner of the War in Iran?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 282 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Aviation Trade Routes Middle East Southeast Asia Infrastructure
  1. The war has exposed how vulnerable Middle East aviation and financial hubs are, causing thousands of flight cancellations and physical damage to airports and disrupting the flow of people and capital.
  2. Singapore is betting on that disruption by building a huge new Changi terminal able to handle about 50 million passengers a year, positioning itself to capture rerouted travel and financial activity.
  3. This strategy echoes past bold investments and could allow Singapore to strengthen its role as a global travel and finance hub if instability persists in the Gulf.

Niall Ferguson: How Trump Won Davos

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3408 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics US Politics Diplomacy Global Economy Foreign Policy European Politics
  1. Donald Trump completely dominated Davos, drawing most of the attention and overshadowing other participants.
  2. The forum’s theme of dialogue clashed with his one-way, monologue-style approach, making interactions feel one-sided.
  3. Many in Europe portrayed the event as a win after persuading him to de-escalate his demand that the U.S. acquire Greenland.

"Why Don't You Criticize Iran??"

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2686 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy Geopolitics Imperialism Military Intervention Propaganda Media Critique International relations
  1. Focus criticism on the western empire because that is the power structure people actually live under and can influence. It is often the main source of militarism and global abuse.
  2. Mainstream media push an "Official Bad Guy" narrative to manufacture consent for aggression, which trains people to criticize foreign regimes instead of questioning their own leaders.
  3. Refusing to criticize a foreign government can be a principled choice when such criticism would feed imperial war propaganda; opposing warmongering agendas is a legitimate moral stance.
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Brits Spied on Me, According to Memo Marked “STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL”

The DisInformation Chronicle • 625 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics UK politics Political Scandal Media Freedom Disinformation Think Tanks Foreign influence
  1. Labour Party operatives hired a PR firm to investigate several journalists, sparking a political scandal that led to a resignation and a formal government inquiry.
  2. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) was a small UK-based group tied to Labour Together and British political operatives, yet it gained outsized influence in U.S. media and government through opaque relationships and funding.
  3. Investigative reporting and leaked internal documents, aided by a whistleblower, triggered official actions including deportation proceedings and raised fresh concerns about cross-border influence and attempts to shape or censor public discourse.

Top Links 1024 Slashing government. Four-day Dutch. Epstein on Dalio. Keynes on sex questions.

Chartbook • 515 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Political Economy Public Policy International relations Labor Policy Economic History Finance
  1. The newsletter highlights arguments for shrinking government, focusing on debates over cutting public spending and reducing state power.
  2. It spotlights work-time reform, especially interest in a Dutch four-day workweek and its implications for productivity and living standards.
  3. It includes provocative biographical and intellectual pieces linking controversial figures and ideas, for example material involving Epstein and Dalio and writings about Keynes’s personal views.

What Is a Zionism For the Palestinians?

Gideon's Substack • 88 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Nationalism Foreign Policy Conflict Statehood
  1. Treating Zionism as a universal model for national revival ignores that modern nationalism often leads to violence, empire-building, and exclusion, so Israel’s example isn’t a simple blueprint.
  2. If Zionism is a “technology” anyone can use, Palestinians would legitimately claim their own national project on the same land, making “Zionism for everyone” politically inconsistent unless it reckons with how to share or divide sovereignty.
  3. Nationalist ideologies need limits set from outside themselves; promoting more nationalism without those limits is mainly an emotional appeal that risks real human costs like displacement and ongoing violence.

China Speed

Doomberg • 6650 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Energy security Industrial Policy Trade Relations Energy markets Oil & Gas China Policy
  1. When China makes a sector a national priority it uses subsidies, IP acquisition, and lax oversight to propel state-backed companies to global dominance.
  2. China now dominates auto manufacturing and electric vehicle sales—producing over 30 million vehicles a year and exporting lots of parts—which threatens foreign automakers and helps cut its oil dependence and urban pollution.
  3. China sits on the world’s largest shale gas and huge shale oil resources but has struggled with technical and geological barriers; recent signs suggest it may be close to unlocking those resources, which could shake up global energy markets.

The Increase in Ukrainian Casualties

Glenn’s Substack • 1378 implied HN points • 04 Sep 24
🌍 World Politics Conflict Diplomacy Military Casualties Strategy
  1. Ukrainian military losses are rising, which is common as wars reach their final stages. When a side is losing, they often struggle with resources, morale, and communication.
  2. The situation in Ukraine is worsening with fewer troops and equipment. As their frontlines weaken, many soldiers are defecting or surrendering, leading to a chaotic military environment.
  3. NATO faces difficult choices in response to the war. There's growing pressure to either negotiate peace or increase involvement, while the risk of a direct conflict with Russia looms large.

The Western Press Are Trying To Spin Epstein As A RUSSIAN Agent

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2221 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Media Intelligence Geopolitics Propaganda Foreign Policy Espionage
  1. Big Western media outlets are running stories that Epstein was a Russian spy, pointing to alleged meetings with Putin and KGB connections.
  2. Other investigations and leaked documents suggest Epstein had ties to Israeli intelligence and figures like Ehud Barak, with some released DOJ files cited as supporting that link.
  3. Some commentators argue the Russia angle is a deliberate media spin to protect Western and oligarchic interests by distracting from possible Israeli or Western intelligence involvement.

Midweek Update #1: What Are The US And Israel Trying To Accomplish? (It May Be Different).

Phillips’s Newsletter • 297 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Military Strategy Foreign Policy Public Opinion Energy Politics Middle East US Politics
  1. The US and Israel are pursuing different objectives: the US is focused on degrading Iran's military command-and-control, air defenses, and naval capabilities, while Israel is also striking energy and fuel infrastructure to more deeply weaken Iran's resilience.
  2. American public support for the war is low and sharply partisan, with Republicans mostly backing the president, Democrats largely opposed, and independents generally unconvinced.
  3. How long the war lasts will be driven by US political pressures and oil market effects; rising oil prices and the 2026 midterms create strong incentives for a quick end, and Washington can largely determine the campaign's duration.

Germany’s Neglect of National Interests

Glenn’s Substack • 939 implied HN points • 10 Sep 24
🌍 World Politics Nationalism International relations European Politics Security Studies Political theory
  1. Germany's current approach to foreign policy often neglects its own national interests, which could lead to negative consequences for the country.
  2. There is a historical pattern of Germany sacrificing its interests for external powers, similar to its past under France and now the US.
  3. A rise in nationalism may occur as a reaction to this neglect, with people seeking to reclaim control over their national identity and sovereignty.

The US Keeps Openly Admitting It Deliberately Caused The Iran Protests

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1899 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy Sanctions Regime Change Economic Warfare U.S. Policy Middle East Human Rights
  1. US officials have openly admitted to using sanctions and financial measures to create a dollar shortage and collapse Iran’s economy in order to spark mass protests.
  2. That approach is described as "economic statecraft" meant to pressure or topple the government without shooting, but it produces severe human suffering through inflation, shortages, and poverty.
  3. The same tactics and rhetoric have been applied or suggested toward other countries, and leaders have publicly encouraged protesters, indicating a broader pattern of using economic pressure to try to force regime change.

No Healthy Person Wants To Rule The World Or Become A Billionaire

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2831 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Political Economy Corruption Elites Globalization Imperialism
  1. People with empathy and a functioning conscience generally don't want absolute power or obscene wealth; those who seek those things are often deeply wounded or morally compromised.
  2. Our political and economic systems reward exploitation — from plundering resources to lobbying and war profiteering — which elevates ruthless people to positions of influence while pushing caring people aside.
  3. Resisting that dystopia and fighting for a kinder, fairer world is costly and dangerous, but it's the only way to act with integrity and create meaningful change.

Regime Change in Venezuela Is a Good Calculated Risk

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 6022 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy Regime Change International Law Geopolitics U.S. Policy Latin America Interventionism
  1. Overthrowing Maduro was a calculated risk because his socialist rule devastated Venezuela’s economy and institutions, and replacing him could produce meaningful improvement.
  2. Fears about unintended consequences, civil war, or breaches of international law are real but don’t automatically justify keeping a destructive dictator in power; doing nothing also has severe costs.
  3. The taboo against foreign regime change is weak already, so this single operation is unlikely to upend international norms, and sometimes taking risks is necessary to create hope for better outcomes.

War Rations

Doomberg • 7638 implied HN points • 06 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Military Strategy Geopolitics International relations Conflict analysis
  1. China has built a vast underground tunnel system for its military, which raises concerns about its nuclear capabilities. Many experts believe this could mean China has more nuclear warheads than previously reported.
  2. Recent tensions between China and Japan, especially regarding Taiwan, have caused severe diplomatic and economic rifts. China has reacted strongly to Japan's new military stances and comments about Taiwan.
  3. China's actions in the energy and commodity markets suggest it may be preparing for potential conflict. This could indicate that they are gearing up for military action to regain control over Taiwan.

Chartbook 423 Some topical material on Venezuela. Hopefully useful.

Chartbook • 4334 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Energy Geopolitics Sanctions International Law Investment Latin America
  1. Venezuela’s oil story has three phases: rapid growth under high rent extraction until the 1976 nationalisation, a 1990s–2000s recovery after the Apertura that drew big foreign investment, and a sharp collapse in the mid-2010s that sanctions and institutional decline worsened.
  2. The headline that Venezuela has the “largest oil reserves” is misleading because much of the booked volume is extra‑heavy Orinoco crude that is expensive and technically hard to produce; proved reserves shift with prices, technology, and institutional capacity.
  3. Opening to foreign investors brought large CAPEX but later policy re‑structuring triggered massive arbitration claims and litigation, so whoever governs Venezuela faces both valuable assets and large liabilities amid geopolitically driven interventions and sanctions.

Anglo Deaths of Despair, North Korean Intranet, Lauren Southern Memoir, and More

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 926 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Demography Security Crime Media Technology Culture
  1. The new book Kakistocracy is being promoted and PDF review copies are being offered to journalists, podcasters, and potential contest entrants.
  2. Public reflections include admitting that voting for Trump was a mistake and describing practical steps used to cut back on phone use, shared via a video interview and an article.
  3. Curated links and commentary cover debates over crime trends (no clear evidence that better medical care lowered murder deaths recently), complexities in Gulf Arab fertility data because of large foreign populations and theories about governance or religion, plus pieces on North Korea’s intranet, Assad’s last days, Neanderthal–human mating, and a memoir review.

This Week in Canada: War Fires Up Carney’s Allegiance to America

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 412 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy International Security Alliances Trade Relations Geopolitics Middle East
  1. Canada publicly aligned with the United States and Israel after the recent attacks on Iran, backing steps to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and affirming Israel’s right to self-defense.
  2. That stance effectively pauses Canada’s recent pivot toward China and sets aside prior tensions with the U.S., including disputes over tariffs and trade.
  3. After long waits, there are signs Canadians are finally getting access to family doctors, ending years on waiting lists for some patients.

Watching the Olympics in Ukraine

Thinking about... • 445 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics War Ukraine Media Memory Human Rights Nationalism Propaganda
  1. War shapes even leisure: air-raid sirens, power cuts, and the deaths of athletes make watching the Olympics in Ukraine a precarious and poignant experience.
  2. Ukrainian coverage feels human and unscripted, offering small comforts and clear explanations that let viewers actually enjoy the sports while personal stories remind us of the wider sacrifice.
  3. Remembering others’ suffering and practicing empathy are essential to freedom; when a society cares only about winning or outcomes it risks tolerating indifference and empowering tyrants.

Life and Death and Other Numbers

Thinking about... • 332 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics War Geopolitics Military Humanitarian Energy Casualties Memory
  1. Numbers can show the scale of death, but each number is a unique person with a life and relationships that statistics cannot capture.
  2. Anniversaries and counts risk turning loss into an abstraction and can let individuals and states avoid moral responsibility.
  3. The war’s length and size are the result of ongoing political and economic choices, so ending it depends on changing those choices and actions.

The Voice of Hind Rajab: The Film They Don’t Want You to See

The Chris Hedges Report • 498 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Israel-Palestine Conflict Human Rights Media Film
  1. The film uses the recorded voice of a six-year-old and the frantic calls of rescue workers to put a human face on suffering and the desperate moral effort to save life.
  2. It shows how military restrictions and direct attacks stopped an ambulance and left civilians and medics dead, illustrating the brutal, deadly effects of occupation.
  3. Because it challenges dominant political narratives, the film faced distribution resistance, and it forces viewers to confront their own moral choice between compassion and complicity in the face of mass violence.

The Iran War: Manna from Heaven for China & Russia

John’s Substack • 9 implied HN points • 22 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Great powers Middle East US Policy Security Policy
  1. The US is stuck in a bind over the Iran war with no good options, facing only bad choices between escalating or finding a risky exit.
  2. The war is forcing the US to move military and diplomatic resources from East Asia to the Middle East, which weakens America's ability to contain China.
  3. China and Russia benefit: China gains from a distracted US, and Russia is strengthened by eased oil sanctions and a reduced flow of weapons to Ukraine.

The Magic System Of Zionism

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2742 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Israel-Palestine Propaganda Human Rights Public Opinion Geopolitics
  1. Criticism of Israel is often reframed as antisemitism, teaching people to see policy critiques as attacks on Jews.
  2. A coordinated propaganda effort (hasbara) shapes media, institutions, and social interactions to defend the state and make dissent socially risky.
  3. That influence is weakening as public skepticism grows, pro-Palestine protests and political gains rise, and the old smear tactics lose effectiveness.

Weekend Update #175: The Week In Which Ukraine Stood Up To Help The USA And The USA Stood Up To Help Russia

Phillips’s Newsletter • 363 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Military Foreign Policy Security Energy Diplomacy
  1. Ukraine has developed cheap, effective ways to shoot down attack drones and quickly stepped in to help the US and other allies who lacked that capability.
  2. Recent US decisions around the Iran conflict — defending Russian actions, easing oil restrictions, and expending large amounts of advanced air-defense missiles — have effectively aided Russia politically and economically while depleting US and allied stocks.
  3. On the ground, Ukraine made net territorial gains in February and is inflicting high Russian personnel losses, suggesting their drone-heavy, lower-manpower strategy is producing results.

Intellectual narcissism or political relevance

Global Inequality and More 3.0 • 1464 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Imperialism Geopolitics Cold War Foreign Policy Historical context Left politics
  1. The left's past support or tolerance of oppressive regimes was a serious mistake, but many of those choices were made within limited options and intense international pressure. Governments and movements often picked the lesser evil available at the time rather than an ideal outcome.
  2. Political decisions should be grounded in historical context and a lesser-evil calculus instead of strict moral purity, because insisting on perfect consistency can make ideas politically irrelevant. Real-world tradeoffs matter more than intellectual self-righteousness.
  3. What looks like a sudden return of imperialism is actually part of a long historical pattern; US, Russian, and Chinese behaviors fit into older traditions of empire, and empires were active even during the neoliberal era. Recognizing continuity helps make better strategic choices today.

The 50-Year War

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 459 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East US Policy Iran relations Military Action Geopolitics Modern History
  1. This isn’t a new war but a decades-long struggle that stretches back to the 1979 Islamic revolution and hostage crisis.
  2. The confrontation is framed as targeting theocratic leaders—the mullahs and Islamist regime—rather than the Iranian people as a whole.
  3. A recent U.S. and Israeli strike, initiated under Trump, is seen by some as a possible turning point or the beginning of the end of that long conflict.

NZNet Digest: Iran war updates, AI takes, China win-wins, and more...

Nonzero Newsletter • 463 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Security Foreign Policy Military Affairs Technology Human Rights Regional politics
  1. The U.S. and Israel seem to be pursuing options that could intentionally weaken or collapse Iran’s government, and the likely succession of Mojtaba Khamenei would signal deeper IRGC control and raise the risk of internal fragmentation or civil conflict.
  2. Voluntary AI safety commitments are fraying — moves like Anthropic’s policy changes and government pushback suggest self-regulation won’t reliably prevent dangerous outcomes, so stronger, enforceable rules are needed.
  3. China is pulling ahead on technologies like drones, batteries, and EV platforms, but those gains don’t automatically mean an American loss because deep commercial and engineering ties can create mutually beneficial cooperation.

Germany and the EU Abandon Reason and Risk Collapse

Glenn’s Substack • 839 implied HN points • 09 Sep 24
🌍 World Politics Europe Ukraine NATO Diplomacy Conflict
  1. Germany and the EU need to rethink their approach to the Ukraine crisis or they might end up in serious trouble together. Changes are necessary to avoid breaking apart.
  2. Some experts believe NATO made mistakes that helped to spark the Ukraine war and that these mistakes are causing more issues for Europe now.
  3. There's growing concern about political violence and less freedom of speech in Germany. New political movements are also rising, which the current government does not approve of.

The Four Paths for a Post-Khamenei Iran

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 282 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Regime Change Geopolitics Security Foreign Policy Military conflict
  1. The death of Iran's Supreme Leader has left the regime at a critical inflection point, creating real uncertainty about its political future.
  2. Despite that loss, the regime remains militarily aggressive, launching missiles and drones at U.S. bases, Israeli cities, and neighboring states.
  3. The main question now is which direction Iran will take and how the U.S. will respond — whether the Islamic Republic collapses, reforms, hardens, or endures.

The Iceberg Ahead

John’s Substack • 16 implied HN points • 21 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Middle East Iran U.S. Policy Israel War Geopolitics Foreign Policy
  1. The conflict with Iran is getting worse every day and risks spiraling into a much larger war.
  2. The president allowed Israel to push him toward war with Iran, which was a serious mistake, and he seems to have no clear plan to fix it.
  3. A major crisis is looming like an iceberg ahead, so urgent steps are needed now to steer away from catastrophe.

The Lies Get So Tedious

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2225 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Propaganda Geopolitics Foreign Policy Imperialism War Media
  1. Society is propped up by nonstop lies about politics, economics, morality, and success that keep power structures in place.
  2. Those lies are taught from childhood and normalize suffering, making people miserable, confused, and complicit instead of critical.
  3. Gaining mental sovereignty means actively unlearning indoctrination and learning to see reality clearly. It's difficult but necessary for truth and meaningful change.

Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1830 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy Geopolitics Military Intervention Imperialism International Law Human Rights US Hegemony
  1. Just because a government commits abuses doesn't automatically justify the United States using military force to overthrow it. Those are two separate claims and forcing regime change needs its own independent moral and legal justification.
  2. The United States has a long record of harmful interventions and often makes situations worse, so it's one of the least qualified actors to claim humanitarian motives. US foreign policy frequently serves geopolitical hegemony rather than genuinely stopping abuses.
  3. Media and political narratives often conflate 'government X is bad' with 'the US should intervene,' so it's important to question assumptions and propaganda. Look at who benefits and whether the motive is truly humanitarian or about power and influence.

Yesterday’s War

Doomberg • 5706 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Energy Sanctions Maritime Trade Geopolitics Economics
  1. Attacks on tankers carrying Russian oil aim to cut Moscow’s war revenue, but they’re hard to enforce and provoke political and legal backlash from other countries.
  2. The strikes and sanctions have already driven up war‑risk insurance and shipping costs sharply, raising logistics bills for everyone and likely pushing global commodity prices higher.
  3. Fully blocking seaborne exports probably won’t crush Russia because producers can offset lost volume with higher prices and alternate routes, meaning the economic pain may fall on global consumers rather than on Moscow.

Europe's foremost pantsuit retard Ursula von der Leyen calls abandoning nuclear power "a strategic mistake" – fifteen years after supporting the nuclear phase-out

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 228 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics European Union Energy Policy Nuclear policy International relations Economic Policy Climate Policy
  1. In 2011 she supported Germany’s nuclear phase-out, saying Fukushima proved a worst-case accident could happen even in high-tech countries.
  2. Germany’s shutdowns and efforts to persuade other European nations away from nuclear have cut nuclear’s share of power and are blamed for higher energy costs and weaker industrial competitiveness.
  3. Now she says abandoning nuclear was a strategic mistake and urges the EU to lead in nuclear technology, but Germany’s government maintains its national phase-out is irreversible.

Middle East-focused US/UK intel contractors discussed price for their spies to 'break stuff'

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 773 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence Security Geopolitics Military Surveillance Legal
  1. Court filings show US/UK intelligence contractors discussed charging extra to move spies from passive surveillance into risky operations, including possible electronic attacks framed as an "internet coverage test".
  2. Messages reveal planning of port surveillance projects targeting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz to monitor Iran–China trade after their 2021 agreement, with codenames like METALLICA and QUIXOTE.
  3. The firms operated through layered shell companies and strict compartmentalization while holding large U.S. defense contracts, and their covert acquisition, payouts, and PR risks led to lawsuits and internal concern.

Who Will Govern Iran After the War?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 287 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Governance Regime Change Geopolitics Leadership Foreign Policy Security
  1. Military strikes that are degrading Iran’s regime and killing its leaders have created an urgent power vacuum and a pressing question about who will lead after the war.
  2. The expatriate opposition is deeply fractured and has long argued over leadership, so organizing a united transition is more urgent than choosing a formal president.
  3. Reza Pahlavi is the most visible figure claiming leadership, promoting a policy platform and saying many Iranians are calling for him to lead the post‑regime transition.

The US Is Pushing So Many Regime Change Agendas It's Hard To Keep Up

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1862 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy Regime Change Sanctions Geopolitics Economic Warfare Latin America Intervention
  1. The US is actively trying to force regime change in Cuba right now, using new executive orders and efforts to pressure or replace the government.
  2. Washington is using economic warfare—cutting off oil supplies and punishing countries that help Cuba—to make populations suffer and provoke unrest that could topple regimes.
  3. This approach repeats across many countries and reflects a broader strategy of imperial control that prioritizes geopolitical domination over other nations' sovereignty and civilian wellbeing.

How We’re Covering the War. Plus: Our Newest Columnist and Podcast

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 268 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics Military Affairs Foreign Policy National Security Middle East Media Coverage
  1. They’re devoting intensive, around-the-clock reporting and expert analysis to the unfolding Iran war to help readers understand what’s happening and why it matters.
  2. Former Marine Aaron MacLean is joining as a columnist and host of the School of War podcast and will host a live discussion at noon ET with retired General Frank McKenzie.
  3. Full coverage is behind a paid subscription, and new subscribers can get seven days free to access all reporting and livestreams.