Three weeks after the outbreak of a wave of unrest across Iran—which has claimed thousands of lives and led to the arrest of thousands more—the US administration faces a series of operational decisions in light of threats issued by President Trump toward the regime in Tehran. The president’s threats began with a public statement that the United States would come “to rescue” the protesters if the regime continued to employ lethal violence against them. This escalated with an additional tweet on January 13 in which he wrote that “help...
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS), released on December 4, 2025, reshapes the “America First” doctrine in ways that undermine the traditional conception of US hegemony. Rather than value-based leadership of the democratic-liberal camp, it emphasizes recognition of states’ nationalism and non-interference in their internal affairs.
At the NATO summit held in The Hague on June 24–25, European countries received a renewed American commitment to the collective security guarantee within the alliance. In return, they agreed to increase their defense budgets as demanded by President Trump. Nevertheless, obstacles remain in Europe’s path to security independence, and there is no certainty that the parties will fulfill their commitments. The shifts in power dynamics within NATO and the implications of Trump’s approach to relations between the United States and its...
Israel’s swift strike on Iran was marked by precision and maximum surprise. While it has secured significant gains including degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, Israel must remain focused on its primary objective: delivering a decisive blow to Iran’s critical nuclear infrastructure. To achieve this, Israel should leverage its military campaign—alongside the credible threat of American involvement—to pursue a sustainable diplomatic outcome that denies Iran the capacity to have a nuclear weapon for many years to come.
Donald Trump assumed office as US president with a flurry of action. In these first weeks, his administration launched a series of unprecedented actions aimed at reshaping the United States through sweeping constitutional, political, and diplomatic changes. These efforts also sought to redefine the country’s role on the global stage by altering the terms of alliances and agreements that for years had been pillars of the liberal order, with the US at its center. Many of these measures could directly affect the State of Israel—some...
The summit of the leaders of BRICS member states held in October 2024 in Kazan, Russia, with the participation of the organization’s new members—UAE, Egypt, Iran, and Ethiopia—highlighted a strategy characteristic of the Cold War era: non-alignment with a global superpower. This approach persists despite the aspirations of Russia and China to transform BRICS into an alternative to the Western-led global order. Thus, the organization is shaping itself as a mechanism for cooperation but not for coordination or the advancement of a...
Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States after a fierce campaign, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. His return to the White House follows significant internal tensions in the United States, including concerns about immigration, inflation, and crime. Trump will likely focus initially on domestic issues, especially the crisis on the southern border. During his previous term, he won over Israelis through his support for the Abraham Accords, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and the...
On April 23, the US Congress approved the foreign aid package presented by President Biden, amounting to $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The vote reflected deep trends in the US Congress and among both parties regarding American foreign policy in general and the State of Israel in particular. The distribution of votes within both parties concerning aid to Israel and other issues included in the package, as well as according to ideological camps within both parties, is examined using data collected by the Data Analytics...
The October 7th massacre and Israel’s subsequent military response in the Gaza Strip provoked significant protests throughout the West, opposing Israel’s military operation. Israel has received the full backing of the Biden administration, on both the military and diplomatic fronts, yet public opinion among the American public, while still supportive, has decreased as Israel’s ground operation in Gaza has continued and Palestinian casualties have mounted. Recent public opinion polling in the United States has underscored the...
The inaugural meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between India and the United States was held in January 2023. The initiative represents the desire of the United States to deepen its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and weaken India’s ties with China and Russia, notwithstanding the ideological differences between the two countries, This occurs within the framework of the “friendshoring” policy and reliance on the production of critical technological components in friendly countries. The...
