Why Trump might be losing the Iran war

Reuters Weekend Briefing <dailybriefing@thomsonreuters.com>
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2026-05-23 13:00

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Thank you for reading the Weekend Briefing. Anyone who’s applied for a U.S. green card knows it’s not easy. It’s about to get harder. Have a look at our meticulous analysis of the differences between Xi Jinping’s meetings with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. And William Boyd discusses his spy thrillers as well as his creation (and David Bowie’s facilitation) of Nat Tate.

Why Trump might be losing the Iran war

Majid Asgaripour/WANA

Abroad: Iran is maintaining its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and resisting nuclear concessions. Its government remains largely intact. Doubts are growing that Donald Trump can translate military successes into an outcome he can frame as a geopolitical win.
At home: Congressional Republicans are revolting over Trump’s $1.776 billion fund for people he says were victims of government “weaponization..” The friction likely will intensify in the months before midterm elections following primary election victories of Trump-endorsed challengers over sitting Republican lawmakers. And Tulsi Gabbard is quitting her job as director of national intelligence, saying she is leaving to help her husband, who was diagnosed with bone cancer.

Gaza flotilla activists describe Israeli abuse, including rape

Reports: Activists who were released from Israeli custody said several of their number were hospitalized with injuries. At least 15 reported sexual assaults. Western governments voiced outrage over Israel’s far-right security minister who posted a video of himself taunting the activists while they were pinned to the ground.
Money: The head of Trump’s Gaza peace board said there is a funding gap that is preventing action “that delivers on the ground for the people of Gaza.” A board official said the current division of the strip could become permanent, leaving more than 2 million people crowded into less than half their previous territory.

Russia hints at retaliation against Baltic states over drones

Casus belli: Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. said Ukraine planned to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic nations and that Moscow could retaliate despite those countries being NATO members. The Baltic foreign ministers denied what they called Russia’s blatant disinformation campaign. They also say that Russia used electronic jamming to steer Ukrainian drones into their airspace.
Underground: Have you seen Finland’s bomb shelters? They’re much bigger than the dugout that your dad built. In fact, one enormous cave carved in bedrock beneath Helsinki can hold up to 6,000 people. Hundreds of foreign delegations have visited the Merihaka shelter and interest in the Finnish companies that outfit these shelters is rising.

U.S. extends Ebola travel ban to green card holders

The latest: The U.S. banned the entry of lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days, citing concerns over the Bundibugyo outbreak. The World Health Organization raised the outbreak risk in the DRC to “very high.” A Congolese province banned funeral wakes to contain the virus’ spread.
Hantavirus: Learn more about the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, the lab in Senegal that cracked the case of the shipborne hantavirus outbreak. And just in case you were wondering: The WHO’s comments on the long incubation period of the Andes strain of the virus is based on decades of research, and not a new narrative to justify lockdowns. Also: The Simpsons did not warn us of such an outbreak on an episode that aired 14 years ago.

Fashion tycoon’s son named as suspect in father’s death

Fatal fall: İsak Andiç died after falling off a cliff while hiking with his son Jonathan near Barcelona in December 2024. A judge said the case is now under investigation as a homicide after first being ruled an accident. The heir to the Mango family fortune held a financial grudge against his father and gave police and emergency services contradictory statements about the day of his father’s death, a judicial writ says.
Formula: Nestlé and Danone are facing yet more scrutiny over their handling of infant formula contamination after Belgian, French and Swiss public media said Nestlé delayed alerting authorities about the presence of a toxin in an ingredient in the formula supplied by a Chinese company.

Before I forget…

A paramilitary commander who was arrested over videos showing him killing civilians left prison and returned to active duty in the Sudanese war. Note: the videos show graphic scenes of violence and cruelty.
At least 90 people were killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China. Officials ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes in a Los Angeles suburb because of a failing chemical tank that might leak or explode.
India is the world’s most populous nation with 1.42 billion people. And yet, some policymakers and Hindu groups say family sizes should increase.
Poland’s former justice minister fled to Hungary as, well, a fugitive from justice. He eventually wound up in the U.S. thanks to the intervention of the State Dept., sources say.
Bookmark THIS: Amazon will end support for Kindle e-readers released in 2012 and earlier. Loyal customers are not at all happy about it.
Same time next year? A bill to make daylight saving time permanent throughout the year in the U.S. passed a House committee 48-1. What do you think? Should we go for it?

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