Key development: Trump and Netanyahu are meeting at the White House today for the first time since the US launched its air war on Iran—a conflict Netanyahu reportedly pushed hard for and that’s now become a huge problem for Trump.
Military Operations
(Update) Iran hit US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on Friday, and the US resumed bombing Iran after a one-day pause. The tit-for-tat strikes are escalating fast, with US embassies warning Americans across the region. (France24)
Context: This is Iran’s retaliation for the latest US bombardment. The US had paused strikes briefly but started up again on Friday. Tehran has expanded the geographic scope of the conflict by targeting facilities that host American forces throughout the Gulf region.
Sources: France24
What to watch: Whether today’s Trump-Netanyahu meeting produces any shift in US strategy, especially given the political headaches the Iran war is causing Trump domestically.
US-Israel Relations
Trump is hosting Netanyahu today despite the Iran war becoming deeply unpopular back home. Netanyahu reportedly played a major role in convincing Trump to launch the full-scale air campaign that’s now dragging on. (Al Jazeera, France24)
Context: This is Netanyahu’s seventh White House visit, but the welcome will be much cooler than before. Trump is dealing with blowback over the Iran war, Israel’s continued strikes on Gaza despite a ceasefire, the occupation of southern Lebanon, and rising settler violence in the West Bank. The relationship between the two leaders appears to be fraying under the weight of all these issues, with France24 describing Netanyahu’s role in persuading Trump to launch the air war as now becoming “a major headache for the US President.”
Sources: Al Jazeera | France24
Economy
[UNCONFIRMED] Iran’s economy still hasn’t collapsed despite massive US sanctions and ongoing bombing. Analysts say ordinary Iranians keep absorbing the economic shocks and the pattern looks likely to continue. (Al Jazeera)
Context: Millions of Iranians are weathering both the sanctions regime and now direct military strikes without the economic collapse that many predicted. This resilience is notable given the intensity of pressure from both economic and military fronts.
Sources: Al Jazeera