A curated selection of FP’s must-read stories.
Editors' Picks
List of Editors' Picks articles
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A big banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 26, 2024. Iran Isn’t as Weak as It Seems
If nuclear talks fail, a war with Iran could follow—but it wouldn’t be a cakewalk.
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An illustration shows a pixelated U.S. flag on a glitchy background. Brave New Techno-Nationalist World
The Trump administration is rapidly reshaping the global digital order.
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A student waits during the Huazhong University of Science and Technology graduation ceremony in a sports stadium in Wuhan, China. Trump’s Student Visa Crackdown Could Be a Boon for China
Beijing has long been eager to woo back top tech and AI talent.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump walk through the West Wing Colonnade on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. Trump and Netanyahu Were Marching in Lockstep—Until They Weren’t
For the first time in decades, a U.S. president is veering away from Israel.
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A woman in a black dress and headscarf sits with her three children on a couch in front of a opaque white lace curtain, backlit by the bright light streaming through the fabric. The children appear to range in age from roughly 4 years old to roughly 10 years old. Syria’s Missing Children
Children of detainees disappeared in orphanages. As many remain unaccounted for, their relatives fear the worst.
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Former U.S. President Gerald Ford sitting at his desk in the Oval Office at the White House. On the desk is a stack of papers and a pair of glasses. The Never-Used Law That Might Be Trump’s Next Tariff Gambit
Trump can use part of a 1974 law to levy tariffs while the courts duke it out.
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An illustration depicts Vladimir Putin holding up a hand of playing cards Putin Is a Gambler, not a Grand Master
The Russian president has abandoned real strategy for a single goal.
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A man runs near burning tires during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince on April 16. Haiti Is Burning, but There Is a Path Forward
A successful intervention will provide a model for solving other crises in an era of fraying multilateralism.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 28. Trump’s Choice on Iran
Will he be the president to finally break America’s addiction to Middle East interventions?
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Syrian people attend an event called "Aleppo, the Key to Victory," in Aleppo, Syria, on May 27. It’s Not That Easy to Lift Sanctions on Syria
Other presidents have struggled with political and logistical obstacles when trying to effect a rollback.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the Russian children’s rights commissioner at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 2. How Russia Responds to Ukraine’s Drone Attack Depends on Trump
Trump needs to “defuse this situation,” said a former director of Russia analysis at the CIA.
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An excavator works in Urumqi Cultural Park in Urumqi, China, on Dec. 24, 2024. International Hotel Giants Are Profiting Despite Genocide in Xinjiang
Rather than reducing their exposure to the region, companies are on a building spree.
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A woman in a black-and-white checkered shirt, sunglasses, and a black headscarf walks on a sidewalk past a bright red wall mural. A simple drawing of a flying blue drone takes up most of the wall, surrounded by silhouettes of bats flapping their wings, and a large white searchlight extends from the drone to the lower right corner of the wall. The False Binary at the Heart of Trump’s Iran Strategy
The United States already lives with a near-nuclear Iran—and has for some time.
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A deactivated Titan II nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile stands in a silo at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona, on May 12, 2015. America’s Latest Problem: A Three-Way Nuclear Race
New Russian and Chinese weapons make Washington’s nuclear command structure vulnerable to attack.
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First Lady Nancy Reagan rests her head against her husband, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, as he praised her during a luncheon in New Orleans on 15 Aug. 1988. What Ronald Reagan Can Teach Democrats in 2025
A successful Democratic nominee won’t be scared to break with their own party establishment.
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