You heard that right: before the Iran war began, the United States and Israel planned to make former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – a Holocaust denier who has called for the destruction of Israel – the new leader, according to a New York Times report. Evidently, Ahmadinejad, who was under house arrest because of ideological clashes with the supreme leader and vigorous populist critiques of corruption within the regime, was seen as a possible pragmatist, akin to Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela. The plan quickly went awry, though, as an Israeli strike meant to free Ahmadinejad on the first day of the war ended up injuring him, causing him to become “disillusioned with the audacious scheme,” according to the Times. If the reporting is true, it would appear that the US and Israel’s initial plans for “regime change” – US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government” – weren’t as ambitious as they appeared in public.
Meanwhile, the status of the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire remains uncertain. On Wednesday, Iran threatened counterstrikes “beyond the region” should the US resume bombing. Vice President JD Vance, though, said Tuesday that there had been “good progress” in talks.
Early Wednesday morning, residents and government personnel in Vilnius, Lithuania, were alerted to take shelter after a suspicious drone was spotted near the Belarusian border – the first such shelter alert within the EU and NATO since the invasion of Ukraine. This came just a day after Moscow issued a warning to neighboring Latvia, citing unfounded claims that Ukraine intended to launch drones from Latvian territory, and just a day after a stray Ukrainian drone was shot down in Estonian airspace. Despite the Baltic states’ calls for additional support from the alliance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to NATO’s foreign ministers meeting this week and is expected to call for members to boost their own defenses.
In his latest “ask ian," Ian Bremmer examines US–Iran tensions, as President Trump signals possible military strikes but repeatedly pulls back amid regional pressure and limited strategic options.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Microsoft recently announced new agreements with the Center for AI Standards and Innovation in the US and the AI Security Institute in the UK to strengthen how advanced AI systems are tested for safety and security. As AI systems become more capable, rigorous testing is essential to ensure they behave as intended and to stay ahead of emerging risks, including those related to national security and public safety. This work brings together government expertise with Microsoft’s experience building and deploying AI to strengthen how risks, safeguards, and system performance are evaluated. Read the full blog here.