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An illustration showing a pair of hands tightly wringing out an American flag. Water droplets shaped like missiles squeeze out of the twisted fabric and fall toward a puddle shaped like the map of Iran on a red background.

U.S. Power Is Wrung Out

The war in Iran has depleted the Pentagon as China’s military buildup matures. This article has an audio recording

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers in the ear of President Donald Trump during a roundtable about Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 8, 2025.

How to Escape Blame for Bad Advice

If you get an important strategic issue wrong, there are still ways to avoid accountability.

A black and white photo looking down a long slipway framed by massive scaffolding on both sides. In the center distance, a large cargo ship is launching into the water, its stern facing the camera with a banner hanging from it. Several workers stand along the tracks in the foreground and near the water.

The Invisible Hand Won’t Rebuild U.S. Shipyards

War in Iran has put a spotlight on declining U.S. maritime power.

Extensive rubble and concrete debris in an urban area, with damaged multistory residential buildings standing in the background. Propped up amid the destroyed concrete in the center foreground is a large rectangular portrait of a bearded man wearing a black turban and glasses.

Lebanon Is No Longer About Lebanon

Iran would rather fight than let Israel decide Lebanon’s fate.

FP Weekend

Soldiers in camouflage uniforms stand in an open, dry field under a partly cloudy sky. In the foreground, a close-up, cropped view shows a soldier from the side wearing tactical gear with a small yellow and blue flag patch on the sleeve. In the background, two more soldiers stand holding rifles, equipped with helmets and backpacks, looking across the field.
How Ukraine Has Turned the Tide
Resilience, technology, and European support have put Russia on the back foot.
01-Foreign-Policy-Magazine-Fiction-Books-June-2026
Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr hoist a European flag in front of the Bundeswehr memorial dedicated to members of the German armed forces who lost their lives in the line of duty, on November 10, 2025 on the premises of the German Defence Ministry in Berlin, prior to a wreath-laying ceremony.
A side-view medium shot of a woman with dark, short hair wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. She is seated on a red patterned armchair in a living room, with additional matching armchairs and a white bust sculpture visible in the background.

Trump’s Second Term

Donald Trump is sett through an opening as he sits at a desk.
Trump’s Foreign-Policy Shifts
Reports and analysis from staff and contributors.
An illustration with Donald Trump listening as Marco Rubio leans in with a hand cupped to whisper in Trump's ear. Around the circular images are headshots of four men and one woman.
The Key Foreign-Policy Players of Trump 2.0
An illustration of a large bald eagle perched atop small shipping containers with the flag of Venezuela draped over them, surrounded by oil barrels, soldiers, a fighter jet, a warship, and an oil rig. They are set against an icy landscape and a blue, cloudy sky.
The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy
A military vehicle flies a U.S. flag from a hill overlooking a tall border fence with brush in the foreground.
The Dangerous Fallout of Trump’s Retreat to the Hemisphere
An photo collage illustration shows Donald Trump pointing toward buildings with case falling around them. Semiconductor chips also make up the scene. Red bars overlay the cream-colored background behind the photos.
Trump’s State Capitalism, by the Numbers
A picture taken in Goma, on July 25, 2022 shows fire set by protesters burning in front of United Nations Mission for the Stabilisation of Congo (MONUSCO) Headquarters.
The World Minus America Will Be a Mess
A photo collage illustration shows the back of President Donald Trump in front of three track hurdles. Behind the hurdles are a stack of shipping containers, soccer stadiums and a passport, and a voter in a U.S.-flagged voting booth.
The Biggest Challenges Trump Faces in His Second Year

Mehreen - snap (no bug)

The Geopolitics of Soccer

This year’s FIFA World Cup, the largest in the competition’s history, comes amid a particularly fraught geopolitical backdrop. Not only is a host country... READ MORE

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U.S. President Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on October 22, 2024.

Trump Should Just Admit He Screwed Up

The Iran war was obviously a mistake. Why not say so?

People standing near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Mount Qasioun overlooking the Syrian capital Damascus watch on a giant screen as Syria's interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa delivers a speech at the presidential palace during the unveiling of the new national emblem, on July 3, 2025.

Syria Wants to Replace the Strait of Hormuz

The country hopes to fund its reconstruction by serving as the Middle East’s new transit and logistics hub.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stands in front of a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system during his visit to a military training area on June 11, 2024 in Mecklenburg, Germany.

Ukraine Has a New War Strategy—and It’s Working

A year ago, the Ukrainian government decided to take the fight directly to Russia. It hasn’t looked back since.

Books

A monochrome image in shades of bright green. On the left, a large, detailed old coin shows an embossed figure in profile alongside texturing and historical lettering. In the center, the portrait section of a modern U.S. one-dollar bill is visible, showing a man's face looking forward within an oval frame, flanked by serial numbers and the text "FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE." On the right side, intricate, swirling patterns and geometric linework characteristic of paper currency.
The Dollar Was—and Remains—an Accident
As a new book shows, the dollar isn’t really the United States’ currency, but a 500-year-old relic.
A shot of an older man with white hair standing in a room crowded with tall wooden bookshelves filled to capacity with books. The man wears a dark blue sweater over a blue button-down shirt and looks forward with a somber expression while holding a large, thick open book with both hands.
A book cover featuring a gray background with the title text "THE STATE AND THE SOLDIER" in bold orange font on the left. On the right, the author's name "KORI SCHAKE" is in orange, above the subtitle "A HISTORY OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES" in a dark gray font. Below the text is a black-and-white photograph of three men in military uniform and civilian clothing riding in an open-top military jeep; one man in a suit sits in the front passenger seat holding a hat, while the others salute.
The book cover for "The Criminal State" by Lawrence Douglas features a black-and-white photograph of a city in ruins. Stone pillars and the skeletal remains of buildings stand amidst piles of rubble and debris.
Two book covers are displayed side-by-side. The left cover is red with a jagged vertical crack and the title "The Fractured Age." The right cover is light blue with a world map and a gold scale balancing two flag-themed spheres.
A book cover titled "HOMESICK FOR A WORLD UNKNOWN" in bold, light-colored uppercase letters against a black background. Centered in the middle is a horizontal photograph of a person wearing a large backpack, sitting on a rocky ridge and looking out over a vast valley and distant snow-capped mountains under a bright blue sky. Below the title, smaller text reads "The Life of George B. Schaller." The author's name, "MIRIAM HORN," is printed in bold at the bottom.
Book cover for "Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Presents" by Paul Brummell. The background features a detailed, colorful mosaic depicting two figures in historical attire bearing gifts. In the center, a white, rectangular gift tag hangs by a string, displaying the book's title, subtitle, and author's name in clean, black typography.