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Israel attacked Iran because it feared diplomacy might work. A nuclear deal could lead Iran to be integrated into a new Middle East and allow the United States to pull back from the region. The outcome that would most benefit America is the outcome Israel acted to prevent.

Three terrific “Reimagining European Security” papers by Tom Wright, Sophia Besch, Claudia Major and Liviu Horovitz on how Europe can defens Ukraine, how it needs to rearm conventionally, and whether/how it needs a European nuclear deterrent. All must-reads! 👇 👇 👇

Hell of a chart, this, from Financial Times. Spot the JCPOA. on.ft.com/4kSuQYO

This Ezra Klein Lander endorsement is great, timely, respectful of Zohran Kwame Mamdani, withering on Andrew Cuomo's inability to govern. nytimes.com/2025/06/18/opi…

💣💥 Another bombshell poll from Hungary: Péter Magyar’s opposition TISZA party leads Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP 51–36 — a 15-point gap. Under Orbán’s own gerrymandered system, this could mean a two-thirds majority for TISZA. Poll by Medián, Hungary’s most trusted pollster, for HVG.

“Given the history of this regime, given what the Iranian people have suffered, I think it’s a wrongheaded and ineffective strategy and one that it may, in fact, backfire on Israel," said Suzanne Maloney to NBC Entertainment: brook.gs/4n7SMIY

There's still a chance, however slim, for Trump to pull an Obama, who after gearing up to strike Syria took a breath and realized he had been boxed into a position he hated and that proceeding with an attack would be worse, for American interests and for his political interests,

Trump’s intel assessment now seems a function of his policy rather than the other way around. (“I don’t care what [my own DNI] said”). Reminiscent of Downing Street Memo “the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.”

🚨 Starting in 15 minutes! Tune in to our webinar to hear from Brookings scholars and distinguished guest Lord George Robertson on the future of European security. Watch here ⬇️ brook.gs/43YsZdr

"She dreamed of seeing Coldplay live. She loved trying new foods and was learning Italian. She wrote poetry constantly and shared it w/ friends. She was so proud of having summited Iran’s highest peak, Mount Damavand, that she made sure to mention that fact to everyone she met."

She’s running. Former US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink — who resigned in protest of Trump’s policy of putting pressure on Kyiv instead of Moscow to end Russia’s war — formally announces her run to challenge Rep. Tom Barrett for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District seat.

Zohran Mamdani says he’s consistently said there’s no room for antisemitism in this city or country. Asked why he hasn’t had a more visceral reaction, he gets emotional talking about the Islamophobic responses he’s received throughout the campaign.

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Found this part striking: 82% of Americans are either somewhat or very concerned about the possibility of getting involved in a full scale war with Iran, per WaPo flashpoll. including 74% of Republicans.

“‘Nobody is talking to Hegseth,’ one official said. ‘There is no interface operationally between Hegseth and the White House at all.’”

New WaPo polling: “At this time, would you support or oppose the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran over its nuclear program?”

Last call—apply by Sunday for #USEurope fall internship Brookings Foreign Policy!

SCOOP - Japan scraps 2+2 meeting with Rubio & Hegseth over defence spending dispute. US was pushing Japan to boost spending to 3% of GDP but Bridge Colby abruptly increased the ask to 3.5%, angering Tokyo #USJapanScoop (w ⁦Leo Lewis⁩) on.ft.com/3TyrZYJ

Israel's Prime Minister may think no one will notice what he's doing in Gaza while he bombs Iran. People face starvation. 55,000 killed. Aid workers and doctors turned away at the border. Shooting at innocent people desperate for food. The world sees you, Benjamin Netanyahu.

from john lahr’s 2002 profile of mira nair: newyorker.com/magazine/2002/…