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The recent two-week ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in the war on Iran has sent shockwaves through Israel. The move has been met with criticism from Israel's opposition leader, Yair Lapid, who called it one of the greatest 'political disasters in all of our history'. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement supporting the US decision, claiming that 'Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbours and the world.' However, Netanyahu's war aims of preventing 'Iran from developing nuclear weapons' and creating 'the conditions for the Iranian people so they can remove the cruel regime of tyranny' remain unachieved.Despite significant military successes over the past 40 days of attacks on Iran, neither of Netanyahu's goals has been achieved. The Iranian regime is still in place, its ballistic missile programme could be rebuilt quickly, and it still has 440kg of enriched uranium at 60 percent purity, enough for 10 bombs.Analysts say that Iran has emerged stronger as a result of the war, with key victories including the survival of the Iranian government and its decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's key energy arteries. The ceasefire has also given Iran an opportunity to continue with newly imposed levies on ships for safe passage through the Strait.Criticism of Netanyahu's handling of the war has been swift, with Ofer Cassif of the left-wing Hadash party saying that the prime minister has 'failed politically, failed strategically, and didn't meet a single one of the goals that he himself set'. Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at the Department for War Studies at King's College London, said that 'Israel achieved almost nothing tangible' and that the ceasefire has 'strained the US relationship'.

During Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, Giorgia Meloni was the only European leader invited, underscoring a brief period of close personal and diplomatic ties between Italy’s right‑wing government and the new U.S. administration. A month earlier she had been photographed sharing a private conversation with Trump at the Élysée Palace while President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the reopening of Notre‑Dame. From the outset of Trump’s second term, the Italian premier was hailed by the U.S. president as a “real live wire” and the European ally who could help “straighten out the world.” Meloni embraced the role, describing Trump as a “brilliant man” and promising to "make the West great again" together. That camaraderie has now eroded. In the wake of the US‑Israeli military action against Iran, Meloni told reporters during a Gulf‑region visit that "when we don’t agree, we must say it", explicitly rejecting the war. Her stance was reinforced a week earlier when Italy denied U.S. bombers permission to refuel at a southern base. Political analysts note that Meloni’s shift marks a decisive break from Trump’s agenda. Roberto D’Alimonte, a political‑science professor at Luiss University, warned that her earlier attempt to act as a bridge between Trump and European allies has become a “liability” she now seeks to repair. Public opinion reflects the change. Recent polls show a solid majority of Italians oppose the Iran war, and support for Trump in Italy has plunged from 35 % to just 19 %. The backlash also manifested in a recent referendum on judicial reform, where 61 % of voters aged 18‑34 rejected Meloni’s proposal—a defeat analysts link more to dissatisfaction with her foreign‑policy alignment than to the reform itself. Beyond politics, the conflict threatens Italy’s economy. As the EU’s second‑largest natural‑gas consumer—accounting for roughly 40 % of its energy mix—Italy is feeling the impact of soaring energy prices caused by the near‑total shutdown of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The Bank of Italy now projects only a 0.5 % growth rate for 2026‑27, down from earlier forecasts, while the national statistics office reported that Italy’s fiscal deficit has breached the EU’s 3 % ceiling, limiting fiscal flexibility ahead of next year’s elections. Despite these pressures, Meloni has not completely abandoned the United States. In March she declined Trump’s request to dispatch Italian warships to the Strait of Hormuz, aligning with other European nations, yet she stopped short of condemning the US‑led operation outright. Experts argue that Meloni’s approach is deliberately cautious. “She is pragmatic and politically skilled,” D’Alimonte said. “She will continue to balance criticism of Trump’s aggressive foreign policy with the need to preserve strategic ties, moving step‑by‑step toward a stronger European alignment without burning bridges.”

Djibouti, a country with a population of less than a million people and no significant natural resources, has become a crucial hub for foreign military bases. The nation's strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade passes daily, has made it an attractive location for global powers.The country's President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has leveraged Djibouti's strategic importance to advance his own aims, welcoming bases from the US, China, France, Japan, and Italy. These countries pay significant fees for the privilege of hosting their bases, with the US paying $65 million annually, France $30 million, China $20 million, and Italy and Japan over $3 million each.The Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a narrow corridor barely 30 kilometers wide, is a critical passage for global trade and communication cables. The region's instability, particularly with the US and Israel at war with Iran, has heightened Djibouti's importance. Federico Donelli, author of 'Power Competition in the Red Sea,' notes that Djibouti sits at the center of many global interests, including trade, shipping, and fiber optic connectivity.Djibouti's base-for-cash model is part of a broader development strategy, including significant infrastructure investment from Chinese firms and a new railway linking landlocked Ethiopia to the coast. However, the country's economic benefits have not trickled down to its citizens, with official unemployment near 40 percent and over one in five people living in extreme poverty.The opposition leader, Daher Ahmed Farah, has criticized Guelleh's rule, stating that the country's strategic position and hosting of military bases have not benefited the Djiboutian people. The US embassy has warned Americans to avoid areas near Camp Lemonnier, citing threats against US interests, while Finance Minister Ilyas Dawaleh has expressed concerns about the Iran war risks pushing Djibouti into deeper economic uncertainty.

Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump declared a two‑week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, just hours after threatening a massive attack on the country. The pause will allow Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz while both sides negotiate a longer‑term settlement. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a noted Iran hawk, welcomed the diplomatic move but stressed extreme caution. He praised the “hard work” of negotiators but warned that any agreement must be scrutinized, noting that Iran’s 10‑point plan reportedly offers sanctions relief and permits Tehran to retain control of the strait. Graham also warned that Iran must not be rewarded for its earlier attacks on the strait, writing on X: “We must remember that the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation. Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world.” Democratic senators, while relieved that U.S. forces would be out of immediate danger, seized the moment to demand accountability. Senator Ruben Gallego said, “Stopping war is good… we can criticize why we got into this war, the illegality of it and hold the Trump admin accountable. But right now I am relieved.” Other Democrats, including Senator Ed Markey and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, warned that the ceasefire does not erase the fact that the conflict was launched without congressional authorization and that targeting civilian infrastructure may constitute war crimes. Ocasio‑Cortez wrote, “The President has threatened a genocide against the Iranian people… launched a massive war… without reason, rationale, nor Congressional authorization – which is as clear a violation of the Constitution as any.” Critics on the right, such as far‑right activist Laura Loomer and commentator Mark Levin, dismissed the truce as a temporary pause, predicting the war will resume. Loomer warned, “The negotiation is a negative for our country… I don’t know why people are acting like this is a win.” Levin added, “This enemy is still the enemy; they’re still surviving.” The conflict, which began on February 28 without a congressional war declaration, has already seen high‑profile strikes, including an attack that the article claims killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a devastating strike on a girls’ school in Minab that killed over 170 civilians, mostly children. Economically, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the war sent oil and gas prices soaring, underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway. Senator Chris Murphy (D) warned that allowing Iran to control the strait would be a “history‑changing win” for Tehran. Across the aisle, lawmakers agree that the ceasefire is not a clean slate. Advocacy director Raed Jarrar of DAWN urged an immediate congressional investigation into the war’s origins, funding, and accountability for civilian casualties. As the two‑week pause unfolds, U.S. officials and legislators will closely monitor negotiations, with the broader debate over war powers, constitutional authority, and potential impeachment of President Trump remaining front and center in Washington.

President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that a U.S. attack on Iran could cause "a whole civilization to die tonight," a statement that sparked immediate backlash from climate icon Greta Thunberg. The Swedish activist, known for her outspoken stance on climate change and the Gaza crisis, described the president’s remarks as a normalization of genocide and urged the public to reject such rhetoric. In an Instagram video posted shortly before a cease‑fire was announced, Thunberg lamented the "muted" reaction to the threat, asking, "What the f*** is anyone even doing at this point?" She emphasized that the world has become accustomed to "total annihilation of entire peoples" and the "systematic destruction of the biosphere," urging viewers to demand an end to these narratives. Poll data reveal a stark generational split on the war. A Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday showed that while 67 % of Republicans aged 65+ believe the conflict will curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, only 25 % of Republicans aged 18‑29 share that view. When asked about the war’s impact on Iranians, just 7 % of older Republican voters said they would be worse off, compared with nearly 28 % of younger voters. Among Democrats, the age gap is less pronounced but still significant: 60 % of young Democratic respondents (18‑29) think the war will harm Iranians, versus 48 % of those over 65. Similar patterns emerge in other surveys. Emerson College found that 75 % of respondents under 50 fear a new world war within four years, compared with 54 % of those over 50. A Politico poll of self‑identified “MAGA Republicans” showed that only 49 % of those under 35 believe Trump has a concrete plan for the Iran conflict, versus 70 % of older supporters. These findings echo a broader historical trend: younger Americans, many of whom grew up in the shadow of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, display a more isolationist outlook. A December 2025 Pew poll indicated that only 39 % of 18‑29‑year‑olds consider active U.S. involvement in global affairs important, compared with 73 % of seniors. The generational divide also extends to attitudes toward Israel. The same Tuesday poll reported that 84 % of young Democrats and 57 % of young Republicans hold an unfavorable view of Israel, whereas older respondents are considerably less critical. Thunberg’s criticism of Trump aligns with her longstanding activism on Middle‑East issues. Last year she joined a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, only to be detained and deported by Israeli forces. Her latest condemnation underscores a growing sentiment among Gen Z that calls for accountability and an end to war‑like rhetoric. In summary, the controversy surrounding Trump’s Iran threat has amplified existing generational tensions in the United States, with younger citizens increasingly questioning the efficacy and morality of U.S. military interventions while demanding a shift away from language that normalizes mass violence.

An Iranian musician has staged a bold protest at a local power station, highlighting growing tensions between Iran and the United States under the leadership of former President Donald Trump. The protest comes amid a backdrop of heightened US-Iran relations, with Trump's administration imposing significant sanctions on Iran.The musician's actions reflect a broader discontent within Iran against US threats and policies. While details of the protest and the musician's identity remain scarce, the event underscores the complex dynamics at play in the region.This development is a testament to the ongoing challenges in US-Iran relations, with both countries navigating a delicate balance of power and diplomacy.

Iran and the United States have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with talks set to begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday. The ceasefire comes after US President Donald Trump said he was calling off a threat to bomb Iran's power plants and bridges and suspending attacks on the country for two weeks.The truce is contingent on Iran agreeing to the 'complete, immediate and safe opening' of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a fifth of global oil supply passes. Iran's partial blockade of the strait has disrupted global trade, driving up oil prices and causing fuel shortages worldwide.Iran's National Security Council has confirmed that Tehran has agreed to talks based on a 10-point proposal from Iran. The proposal calls for Iranian dominance and oversight of the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of all 'US combat forces' from bases in the Middle East, and a halt to military operations against allied armed groups across the region.The proposal also demands 'full compensation' for war damages, the lifting of all sanctions by the US, the United Nations Security Council, and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad.Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the warring sides had agreed to an 'immediate ceasefire everywhere', including Lebanon and elsewhere. He extended an invitation to US and Iranian delegations to Islamabad on Friday to further negotiate a conclusive agreement.

Israel's conflict with Iran has ended in a strategic failure for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the war achieving none of its main goals and damaging Israel's global standing.Despite years of threats and diplomatic pressure, Israel's war with Iran has resulted in a fragile and vague ceasefire, with Iran's regime still intact and its military assets significant.The US intelligence community had deemed Israeli predictions of regime change and revolution in Iran as 'farcical', and Netanyahu's assessment that the war would be short-lived proved woefully wide of the mark.Netanyahu's insistence on continuing attacks in southern Lebanon appears hubristic, and Israel's actions have been criticized by opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid and Yair Golan, who have called the ceasefire a 'strategic failure'.The reality is that Netanyahu gambled everything on his war and failed to secure the fall of the Iranian regime, the seizure of Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or meaningful state degradation.Instead, Israel's global standing has been damaged, and its role in pushing the US to war in Iran has been assailed by both progressives and the far right in America.The domestic fallout for Netanyahu in an election year in Israel will be significant, with many Israelis likely to question his ability to deliver on his promises of security and victory.

Copenhagen returns to the London stage under Michael Longhurst’s direction at Hampstead Theatre, a timing the reviewer calls “terrifyingly timely.” The three‑hander dramatizes the 1941 encounter between Danish physicist Niels Bohr (played by Richard Schiff) and German scientist Werner Heisenberg (Damien Molony), set against the looming threat of Hitler’s nuclear ambitions. The production draws unsettling parallels to contemporary politics, invoking Donald Trump’s recent threats toward Iran as a modern echo of the era’s extremist rhetoric. This resonance, the reviewer notes, amplifies the play’s relevance alongside the theatre’s downstairs offering, ROI (Return on Investment), which also interrogates the morality of scientific discovery. Visually, Joanna Scotcher’s set is a striking, non‑realist circle surrounded by water—a subtle nod to the “heavy water” used in Nazi nuclear research and a poignant reminder of the personal tragedy that befell one of Bohr’s sons. The second half’s dense scientific dialogue is rendered accessible, though the reviewer argues it sometimes falls short of fully unpacking the deeper metaphors embedded in the science. Performance-wise, the age gap between Bohr and Heisenberg (Bohr being sixteen years senior) hampers the on‑stage chemistry. Schiff’s portrayal of the seasoned Bohr occasionally stumbles over lines, while Molony’s Heisenberg comes across as a brooding, almost adolescent figure. In contrast, Alex Kingston’s turn as Bohr’s wife and editor, Margrethe, provides the emotional core, shouldering much of the play’s affective weight. Thematically, the drama wrestles with the question of whether scientists bear a moral duty beyond their research. Heisenberg’s famed uncertainty principle is employed as a metaphor for the psychological ambiguity surrounding their historic meeting. Yet the script conspicuously omits any direct reference to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, focusing instead on the fear of a Nazi atomic weapon and sidestepping the United States’ own nuclear legacy. While the production boasts compelling aesthetics and a thought‑provoking premise, the reviewer finds moments of sluggish pacing and a missed opportunity to confront the irony of overlooking the U.S. bombings, especially as contemporary concerns about American military assertiveness rise. The show runs at Hampstead Theatre, London until 2 May.