Open Season: The assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the outset of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran sets a dangerous precedent. Here, A poster of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and an anti-U.S. placard are carried in Tehran, Iran, April 1, 2026.

Law and Justice

Amid War in Mideast, Lingering Questions Over Killing Iran’s Leader

by James D. Zirin April 23, 2026April 23, 2026

Assassination isn’t illegal under U.S. law, but don’t tell Trump. A legal primer.

Drone Dominance: The conflict in the Middle East is showing the value of Ukraine’s weapons systems and military tactics. Here, an instructor demonstrates the operation of a drone designed to destroy Russian attack drones in the Kyiv region, March, 2026.

Magazine

Ukraine’s Way of War is Coming to the Persian Gulf

by Tamar Jacoby April 2, 2026May 5, 2026

Middle East fighting creates an opportunity for Ukraine and its fierce military technology—but Kyiv and America’s allies must seize the moment.

Unequal Economics: Guests attend a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol with members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus on Equal Pay Day, March 26, 2026.

Newsletter

Women Are Getting Slammed in Trump’s Economy

by Anne Kim March 29, 2026March 27, 2026

Women are losing jobs, leaving the workforce, and reporting high levels of financial insecurity.

Anything, Again: President Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington, with a model of a B-2 stealth bomber in front of him.

Newsletter

“I Could Do Anything”: Trump’s Dangerous Mantra

by Gillen Tener Martin March 22, 2026March 20, 2026

The president’s words on Cuba, the next nation he’s casing for foreign intervention, sound all too familiar.

Iranian Drones: Iran’s drones can be rapidly rebuilt, even in wartime. Pictured here, Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, left, who was killed in the airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel, and then Defense Minister Gen. Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani review domestically built drones in a ceremony to deliver the drones to the army.

Foreign Policy

Asymmetric War in Iran: How Trump and the U.S. Are Being Played

by Mike Lofgren March 19, 2026March 19, 2026

We’re depleting our big, expensive, Cold War-inspired defensive weapons on Iran’s cheap drones, and if Tehran expands its underwater drone program, look out.

War Windfalls: Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, a barrel of oil passed the $100 mark for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Here, the price per gallon of gas is shown at a gas station in New York, NY on March 9, 2026.

The Monopolized Economy

Another War, Another Excuse for Profiteering

by Hal Singer March 10, 2026October 16, 2026

Every energy crisis is a windfall for oil refiners—and consumers pay the price.

The Art of War: Then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up his book “The Art of the Deal,” as he speaks during a campaign stop on Nov. 21, 2015 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Foreign Policy

With Iran, Obama Displayed “The Art of the Deal.” Trump Didn’t

by Bill Scher March 6, 2026March 6, 2026

Trump’s persona depends on the perception that no one negotiates better deals. His war on Iran proves otherwise.

Legality Lacking: “Normal international relations” are impossible if a head of state can be murdered whenever another head of state feels like it. Here, an Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Foreign Policy

All the Ways Trump’s War on Iran Is Disastrous

by Bill Scher March 3, 2026March 3, 2026

We should be deeply disturbed about what follows the targeted assassination of a foreign leader.

Politics

No Kings, Just Chaos

by The Editors June 16, 2025July 16, 2025

As Trump’s $45 million military pageant fizzled, millions joined protests, a political assassination shook Minnesota, and Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran. Our editors make sense of a disorienting weekend.