national security

President Trump declared he would decide on U.S. strikes on Iran "within the next two weeks," creating uncertainty. This timeframe allows for immediate action or extended diplomatic efforts, leaving allies, adversaries, and markets in suspense.

In the aftermath of Israel’s unprecedented air campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, President Donald Trump has signaled to defense officials that the United States should only consider joining strikes on Iran if the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker buster” bomb can be guaranteed to neutralize the deeply buried uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. According to multiple defense sources familiar with White House deliberations, Trump has not been fully convinced of the GBU-57’s ability to eliminate Fordow’s critical infrastructure and has delayed authorizing U.S. involvement while assessing whether the mere threat of American intervention might bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.

Israel’s recent air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites—and Iran’s retaliatory missile launches—mark a decisive shift in the balance of power across the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demonstrated his willingness to act unilaterally, defying even President Donald Trump’s entreaties to hold off until after planned US-backed negotiations on a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

For decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly vowed to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions by any means necessary. Those long-held threats culminated this week in “Operation Rising Lion,” a series of coordinated airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. While Netanyahu’s carefully cultivated reputation as “Mr. Security” may have compelled him to pull the trigger, the strikes carry profound strategic, diplomatic, and domestic risks. As rescuers sift through the rubble in Tehran and world leaders scramble for a response, the true costs of confronting Iran head-on are only beginning to surface.

In December of the previous year, South Korea was thrust into a political maelstrom when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in the wake of widespread protests. The decision, intended to quell escalating demonstrations over government policies and economic discontent, backfired spectacularly. Lawmakers from the Democratic Party and other opposition factions filed impeachment articles against Yoon, arguing that the extraordinary measure infringed on constitutional rights and threatened democratic norms. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment in April, marking only the second time in South Korea’s history that a sitting president was removed from office.

Federal immigration authorities have taken the family of 45-year-old Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman into custody with plans to deport them as soon as possible. The decision follows Soliman’s arrest on Sunday after he allegedly hurled Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel rally on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. In the wake of this violent attack, Homeland Security officials indicated that Soliman’s wife and five children—two teenagers and three younger children—are subject to “expedited removal,” meaning deportation could occur within 48 hours unless they successfully make a legal claim to remain in the United States.

Vanuatu, an archipelagic nation in the South Pacific, operates an economic citizenship scheme known as the Development Support Program (DSP). Established in the late 1990s, the program allows foreign nationals to acquire full Vanuatu citizenship through a minimum investment of US $130,000 (approximately AU $201,000). Proponents argue the scheme generates much-needed revenue for one of the world’s smallest economies, funding public services, infrastructure projects, and pandemic recovery efforts. According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the DSP contributed nearly 9 percent of Vanuatu’s government revenue in 2024—albeit a drop from a peak of 33 percent in 2020, when travel restrictions led more applicants to seek expedited citizenship.

On Sunday afternoon, a man armed with a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails opened fire on a group of peaceful protesters at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado. Eight people—ranging in age from their early fifties to late eighties—sustained burn injuries. The FBI has labelled the attack a “terror attack,” though local authorities are investigating motive and caution against premature conclusions.