In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer examines the stakes as the war in Iran enters its second month.

“The economic implications are becoming more evident to all globally,” he warns, highlighting both human and financial costs. Ian notes the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, where one-fifth of the population has been displaced, and the rising casualties in Iran and among US service members.

Ian also contrasts the strategies of the war’s main actors: Israel aims to dismantle Iran’s military and end the regime, while Iran seeks to survive the assaults and maintain leverage over regional chokepoints. “The United States, as best as I can see, does not yet have a strategy,” Ian notes, pointing to incoherence in troop deployments and shifting objectives.

Lastly, Ian highlights political risks for President Trump, noting that while MAGA supporters remain loyal, broader public backing is waning as the war and its costs escalate.

More For You

People vote in the legislative elections in Algiers, Algeria, on July 2, 2026. The electorate, including the diaspora, consists of 24,727,041 registered voters. These elections will elect the 407 members of the tenth legislature of the People's National Assembly (APN), with a mandate of five years.
Billel Bensalem/APP/NurPhoto

Algerians are headed to the polls today to elect their next members of parliament. However, hopes for true democracy look more remote than ever.

Natalie Johnson

In addition to the health concerns from the Ebola outbreak, the UN is sounding the alarm on a potential development crisis in Africa sparked by the disease.

Protesters hold flamingo-shaped placards and a large representation of a flamingo as they demonstrate against the government, following weeks of protests against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, on an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast, in Tirana, Albania, on June 22, 2026.
REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj

The protests in the small Balkan country were touched off by the start of construction on a seaside luxury resort linked to US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.