The US is sending F-35 fighters to the Middle East, reportedly to protect freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf. This announcement, like previous deployments of F-16s, F-22s, and A-10s, is clearly a message directed at Russia and Iran.
Russia claims it destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Kremlin Monday night. Ukraine denies responsibility, begging the question: Who sent it, and why?
The handshake between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing represents a major win for China and another blow to American interests in the Middle East and Asia.
Last week, China and Brazil agreed to settle payments for trade in yuan and real, bypassing the US dollar. This is the latest in a series of events pointing to the imminent end of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.