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Israel attacks and targets Hamas leadership in Qatar
How will Israel's attack in Qatar strain US alliances?
In this episode of Ask Ian, Ian Bremmer unpacks Israel’s attack against Hamas leadership in Qatar.
“Recent attacks on Qatar, a major ally of the United States, didn’t succeed in taking out Hamas’ leadership,” Ian explains. But that move, he notes, has “agitated President Trump pretty significantly,” given America’s close ties to Qatar and the wider Gulf states.
While the US shows no signs of breaking from Israel, evidenced by refusing to grant visas to Palestinian officials, Ian warns that the Trump administration’s support carries risks. With Israel shifting from “deterrence to threat removal,” US allies like the UAE are drawing red lines, even threatening to exit the Abraham Accords, which Ian says "would be a big slap to President Trump directly."
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.
HARD NUMBERS: Trump pitches Europe on joint tariffs, Mexico nabs uniformed diesel smugglers, Hong Kong lawmakers veto same-sex bill, Apple holds prices steady
14: Mexican authorities have detained 14 people, including several active duty Marines, for smuggling diesel fuel into the country from the United States. The scandal could put further pressure on an already-strained relationship between the US and Mexico, key allies in Washington’s “War on Drugs.”
71: Hong Kong’s legislature vetoed a government-backed bill that would have granted some additional marital rights to same-sex couples registered overseas. Seventy-one lawmakers voted against the bill, with 14 in favor.
5.6: Apple on Wednesday introduced a new, slimmer iPhone “Air” model which is just 5.6mm thick. But the fatter news from the event is that the company has decided not to increase prices for iPhones, despite the impact of new US tariffs, which are currently costing the tech giant more than $1 billion per quarter.
A girl is inoculated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a vaccination event hosted by Miami-Dade County and Miami Heat, at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, USA, on August 5, 2021.
Florida seeks to lift vaccine mandate
On Sept. 4 Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced plans to repeal childhood vaccine mandates in the state’s public schools. Ladapo likened mandates to “slavery” while Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized the importance of protecting medical freedom.
The decision makes Florida the first state in 45 years to seek to make childhood vaccines optional, and has serious implications for public health and states’ rights. Advocates cheer it as a triumph for medical freedom and parental rights, while opponents decry it as a step back in the fight against infectious disease – and, possibly, a risk to the health of the nation.
Vaccine mandates date back decades
The state of Massachusetts implemented the first US vaccination requirements for smallpox in the 1850s, and by 1900, nearly half of the states had done the same. The federal government enacted its first Childhood Immunization Initiative in the 1960s after a major measles outbreak, recommending a common vaccine schedule, and President Bill Clinton implemented another in 1993 to combat polio, mumps, measles, whooping cough, and diphtheria.
Since 1980, all US states have all had vaccine mandates for public schools, but have the right to grant medical exemptions for students who are allergic, immunocompromised or otherwise cannot tolerate vaccines, as well as non medical exemptions on religious or philosophical grounds. In the 2024-2025 school year, 3.6% of students nationwide had an exemption for at least one vaccine, nearly double the rate in 2021-2022. Idaho and Alaska had the highest rates of exemptions, 15.4%, and 9.4%, respectively, mostly for non-medical reasons.
What is Florida planning?
The Florida Department of Health will end the vaccine mandate for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Hib influenza and pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis, beginning 90 days from now. The new rules may not take effect this school year at all, however, because changes to state vaccine mandates require legislative amendment. Florida’s Democratic minority has vowed to fight them; and even if they do pass, there could still be lawsuits from parents, teachers, teachers unions, and vaccine advocates.
Medical freedom, states rights and public health
Florida’s mandate repeal revives the question of how far can states push policies that can impact citizens of other states. Doctors caution that Florida’s status as a major tourist destination could put at risk immunocompromised travelers or those whose vaccines are not up to date. These travelers could also bring illness back home, potentially infecting other vulnerable populations.
Defenders of Florida’s move, however, say this isn’t just an issue of states’ rights, but of personal freedom and parental rights. Ladapo admitted that he had not studied the impact of the repeal on the spread of disease, but said that “It’s an issue of right and wrong,” saying earlier, “Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?” President Donald Trump countered Friday, however, that “you have some vaccines that are so amazing, the polio vaccine,” that “should be used; otherwise, some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people.”
Health as an ideological divide
The public is split on changes to federal vaccine policy, largely along partisan lines. A recent poll by KFF about the federal reduction in the availability of COVID vaccines found two in ten Americans, including 41% of Republicans, think these changes will make people safer, while about one-third of respondents including most Democrats (62%) and four in ten independents (41%) say they will make people less safe.
State legislation could similarly divide along ideological lines. The Democratic governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have formed the West Coast Health Alliance to “uphold scientific standards” in defiance of MAHA policy. Similarly, the blue-leaning states of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are looking at working together on immunization policy and guidance that differs from MAHA criticism of vaccines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 4, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Putin’s threat against foreign troops, Thailand has another new PM, Report emerges of failed US mission in North Korea
Putin warns foreign troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets”
A day after France and 25 allies pledged to send a “reassurance force” to Ukraine once a ceasefire takes hold, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the idea and warned any foreign troops would be fair game for Russian attacks. Paris insists the force would deter new aggression, not fight Russia directly, but Moscow sees it as escalation – insinuating that the troops could be a tripwire for World War III. Russia is trying to shape the terms of any future peace, even as its offensive grinds on.
Thailand picks new PM, but crisis far from over
Thailand’s parliament has chosen Anutin Charnvirakul, a cannabis-crusading conservative, as its third prime minister in two years, after the Constitutional Court ousted Paetongtarn Shinawatra last week. Anutin’s small Bhumjaithai party secured power with backing from the progressive People’s Party, but only on condition that new elections be held within four months. Paetongtarn’s removal stemmed from a leaked call with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen over a border dispute, a scandal that fractured her coalition. Chronic political instability in Bangkok doesn’t just undermine democracy, it complicates relations with Cambodia, where lingering border tensions could flare without steady leadership.
Report emerges of aborted Trump-backed Navy SEAL mission in North Korea
In 2019, Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to step into North Korea, and appeared to have a relatively warm meeting with Kim Jong Un. Behind the scenes, though, he was greenlighting a Navy SEAL operation that same year to plant a wire on Kim, the New York Times reported on Friday. It was all part of the US’s decades-long effort to limit North Korea’s nuclear activity. The mission involved sending US troops onto North Korean soil, an incredibly risky move. When the troops arrived on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, though, a North Korean boat was circling the area. The SEALs killed all the people on that ship, then aborted the mission.
US strike on vessel from Venezuela
Is the US trying to topple Venezuela's leader?
In this episode of ask ian, Ian Bremmer breaks down the recent US military strike on a vessel leaving Venezuela and what it signals for the Trump administration’s broader strategy.
“The United States has now engaged in an initial strike claiming a drug enforcement mission,” Ian explains. But the scale of the operation tells another story: “Seven US warships, a nuclear submarine, over 2,000 Marines, and several spy planes…this is clearly not just a drug interdiction.”
Ian suggests the move could be the start of a blockade or even strikes on gangs and terrorist groups inside Venezuela. While some US officials have long pushed for Nicolás Maduro’s removal, he cautions against assuming regime change. Ian notes, “I’d be very surprised to see boots on the ground.”
The Venezuela policy, Ian remarks, stands in stark contrast to Trump’s approach in Israel, where the US government continues to provide funding and political support, an exception to his ‘America First’ stance.
China's liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles DongFeng-5C, which have a global strike range, pass through Tiananmen Square during the V-Day military parade in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Xi hosts military parade, Poland’s new prez to meet Trump, US hits drug-carrying Venezuelan ship
China’s giant parade sends a message to the West
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a massive military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square earlier today, featuring 10,000 troops and a show of new weapons, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the United States mainland. The procession wrapped up a jam-packed week of diplomacy and showmanship, with some 26 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – in attendance. Though the display officially marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II – especially China’s war with Japan – the purpose was a little more contemporary: Xi wants to subvert the notion that the US is the lone global hegemonic power.
Poland’s new president comes to Washington to discuss own Russia border
Unlike other European leaders, Polish President Karol Nawrocki won’t be imploring US President Donald Trump to lend more support to Ukraine when he makes his first official White House visit today. He’ll instead focus on his own border with Russia. The Trump administration’s interest in Europe appears to be dwindling, so Poland – which relies heavily on US military support – will be hoping to maintain that backing. Nawrocki, just four weeks into the new job, also faces his own power struggle with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk over everything from foreign policy to social welfare, making this trip a useful opportunity to position himself as the leading Polish voice on the world stage.
Trump escalates pressure on Maduro with Caribbean strike
The US president said a military strike destroyed a drug-laden vessel near Venezuela, killing 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Trump shared a grainy video of the explosion on Truth Social, warning traffickers to “beware.” Caracas dismissed the footage as AI-generated, but Washington insisted it was authentic. The operation comes as Trump escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, recently doubling the bounty to $50 million for information leading to the Venezuelan leader’s arrest on drug charges. Venezuela has vowed to resist US intervention, calling the growing American military presence in the Caribbean the greatest regional threat in a century.
China’s push for a new world order
In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer reflects on America’s role on the global stage.
“The United States is becoming less predictable, less reliable, at least in the eyes of non-American leaders,” he explains. That uncertainty has left countries hedging their bets, with China seizing the opportunity to present itself as the more stable long-term partner.
But Ian notes the limits: “These countries are not particularly aligned,” he says of members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, noting deep divides between China and India. Yet, US tariffs and unilateral policies are pushing even rivals to find common cause.
Reliability, Ian warns, matters more than unpredictability: “When countries around the world see that the United States is not a country they can rely on, they will make plans with those actors they feel they can.” And that, he says, “redounds to China’s benefit.”
Putin and Xi ❤️ America
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