Not Choosing Is Not an Option; Will Washington Squander Tokyo’s New Security Commitment?; The Iran War Has Altered the Gulf’s Balance of Power—and the Kingdom’s Calculus
Foreign Affairs Today

May 25, 2026 | View in Browser

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U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Beijing, May 2026

The Middle Power Delusion

Not Choosing Is Not an Option

By Michael Beckley

 

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Japanse soldiers during joint military exercises with the United States and the Philippines, Paoay, Philippines, May 2026

Japan’s Point of No Return

Will Washington Squander Tokyo’s New Security Commitment?

By Daisuke Kawai

 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 2026

Can Saudi Arabia Keep Hedging?

The Iran War Has Altered the Gulf’s Balance of Power—and the Kingdom’s Calculus

By Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr

 

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Logo of Stanford: Ford Dorsey Master's

Study International Policy at the Heart of Silicon Valley

Shape the future of global policy with Stanford’s Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy. This two-year M.A. offers a flexible curriculum, core policy skills, and experiential learning opportunities. Join a small and collaborative cohort, learn from leading scholars and practitioners, and become a leader prepared to tackle today’s most pressing international challenges.

 

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An Israeli tank on the Israeli side of the Lebanese-Israeli border, March 2026 

America Should Be Israel’s Partner, Not Its Patron

The Pro-Israel Case for Ending U.S. Aid

By Raphael BenLevi

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