Did Trump blink on Greenland?
After saying numerous times that he would only accept a deal that puts Greenland under US control, President Donald Trump emerged from his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte singing a different tune. While the specifics of the deal are still being negotiated, Trump walked back his 10% tariff threat on European trade partners, and reportedly backed a proposal to respect Denmark’s sovereignty over the island. Trump may have concluded that he did not have the domestic support to take an aggressive approach– only 9% of Americans support the US using military force to annex Greenland, and markets temporarily plunged on his hardline stance. Meanwhile, the Europeans may have presented terms that Trump could sell as a win. However, it remains to be seen whether Trump will follow through on this version of the deal, and even if he does, it will still need to be sold to Greenlanders, who may protest the growing US presence on the island.
Iran’s regime says protests have ended
Protests against the Islamic Republic and its running of the Iranian economy are over, according to the country’s leaders, after a brutal crackdown that killed thousands of demonstrators. The regime had appeared particularly vulnerable: it faces a water crisis, growing threats from the US and Israel, and its proxy groups in the Middle East are much weaker than they were two years ago. Yet it appears to have weathered the protests, for now. Keep in mind, the internet is still down, so it’s difficult to verify this. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite military force inside Iran, was central to the crackdown on protesters, and it appears to have bolstered their position in the regime’s hierarchy going forward.
