FOREIGN POLICY

APRIL 3. 2026

Iran’s Zarif Wants a Bilateral Reset With U. S. That the Gulf Can’t Accept

Former FM’s terms for ending the war leave out the states that absorbed the most damage.

Russia’s River of Consciousness

An undercover journalist travels the Volga to catch a glimpse of life under Putin.

Two Takes on Modern France

Plus, more international fiction releases in April.

Why Jet Fuel Is the Real Harbinger of the Energy Crisis

The Iran war is torching the products that make the world go around.

The Lost Children of Minab

It has been one month since missiles struck a school in the Iranian port town.

Pakistan’s Peacemaking Is a Setback for India

As Islamabad positions itself as a mediator in the Iran war, New Delhi is sidelined.

Iran Is the Dumb, Disastrous Remake of Desert Storm

Trump is trying to rerun the first Gulf War, badly, in an international system that won’t allow it.

The Energy Shock Hits Latin America

The Iran war has led the region’s leaders to recalibrate their economic policies.

How China Reinvented the BRI

Western tariffs accelerated its transformation into a sophisticated extension of China’s industrial policy.

APRIL 2. 2026

What’s Next for the Iran War?

A prime-time Trump speech offered few clues.

America’s War Machine Runs on Tungsten—and It Could Run Out

U. S. operations in Iran risk draining limited U. S. stocks.

U. K. Hosts Coalition Talks to Reopen Hormuz—Without the U. S.

Trump has demanded that other countries bear the responsibility of “taking” the strait.

Will the Iran War Evaporate the Gulf’s AI Oasis?

The Iran war has punctured—though not completely popped—the region’s tech bubble.

The Next Global Food Crisis Has Already Begun

Blocked fertilizer shipments plus La Niña spell trouble for farmers around the world.