The Iran War stalemate and dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the mounting pressure on both sides to reach a deal Iran's hardliners consolidating power and the growing likelihood the regime pursues nuclear weapons as a deterrent King Charles III's address to a joint session of Congress and its surprising ability to unite a deeply divided chamber The diplomatic lesson of royalty and why pomp and circumstance may be more effective than elected leaders in dealing with Trump Germany's unprecedented defense spending surge and what it means for NATO, European autonomy, and the transatlantic relationship Trump's threats to withdraw US troops from Germany, Italy, and Spain, and whether they signal policy or political posturing The economic toll of the Iran War on European publics, with inflation rising and governments increasingly vulnerable to far-right challengers Europe's fundamental challenge of broad agreement on what needs to be done, paired with near-total failure to agree on how to do it The AFD surpassing Merz's CDU in German polls for the first time, signaling deepening public discontent The limits of strategic autonomy and why Germany's reliance on American nuclear guarantees and weapons systems keeps it tethered to NATO and Washington