The Cosmopolitan Republican

Live updates: NATO condemns Iran after shooting down missile heading toward Turkey’s airspace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. and Israeli forces will obtain “complete control of Iranian skies” within days, and will soon begin a second massive air assault.

NATO condemns Iran after shooting down missile heading toward Turkey’s airspace

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

The Time for Regime Change in Iran Has Arrived | National Review The Trump administration is right: Only a change of regime in Tehran will end the threat Iran poses to Americans and our interests.

The Time for Regime Change in Iran Has Arrived

www.nationalreview.com/2026/02/the-...

Will Khamenei’s Death Mark the End of the Revolution? The supreme leader clung to a dying movement that made his nation a global pariah and disillusioned his own population.

Will Khameini's death mark the end of the Islamic Revolution in Iran?

thedispatch.com/article/kham...

Texas Senate Primary Is Heated and Republicans Are Worried A Republican race between Sen. John Cornyn, state Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt is likely headed to a runoff, while Democrats duke out their own primary.

Republicans are worried as Texas senate primary heats up

www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

People celebrate in the streets after announcement of Khamenei’s death | CNN Videos shared by anti-regime activist accounts and geolocated by CNN show people in Iran celebrating in the streets overnight after the announcement of the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamen...

Iranians celebrate the death of the Supreme Leader.
www.cnn.com/2026/02/28/w...

Live updates: Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon as Iran conflict spreads across region Three U.S. service members have been killed, and President Donald Trump said “there will likely be more” with U.S.-Israeli operations set to continue for weeks.

Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon as Iran conflict spreads across region

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Live updates: Iran’s supreme leader killed in U.S.-Israeli attack; Tehran strikes Israel, Arab states Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his Tehran compound, according to four Israeli security officials briefed on the matter.

Iran’s supreme leader killed in U.S.-Israeli attack; Tehran strikes Israel, Arab states

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

The Death of Khamenei and the End of an Era His life’s work was to preserve a revolution that is heading for the ash heap.

The Death of Khamenei and thee End of an Era

www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

The Demise of the Liberal Order And how China took over Canada. A discussion with Terry Glavin

The Demise of the Liberal Order open.substack.com/pub/clairebe... How China took over Canada, with @terryglavin.bsky.social ...

Israeli media say Iran's Supreme Leader was 'likely' killed in strike There are 'growing indications' that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the first wave of the US and Israeli strikes earlier today, claim Israeli media.

Israel media reports that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli strike

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

We've Struck Iran Bookmark this page. I'll update it throughout the day as more news comes in.

Claire Berlinski's updates on the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran in Substack's The Cosmopolitan Globalist

open.substack.com/pub/clairebe...

Live updates: U.S. and Israel launch attack on Iran as Trump calls for regime change The U.S. launched “major combat operations in Iran,” President Donald Trump said, promising to destroy its missiles and give rise to a change in government.

U.S. and Israel launch attack on Iran as Trump calls for regime change

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Live updates: U.S. and Israel launch attack on Iran as Trump calls for regime change The U.S. launched “major combat operations in Iran,” President Donald Trump said, promising to destroy its missiles and give rise to a change in government.

U.S. and Israel launch attack on Iran as Trump calls for regime change

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Live: Tehran promises to retaliate as Israel and US launch joint attack on Iran President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington had begun "major combat operations" in Iran after Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Saturday. Tehran announced it is prepa...

U.S. and Israel launch joint attack on Iran; Tehran promises to retaliate

www.france24.com/en/asia-paci...

Romania calls for NATO Black Sea mission The plea comes as Romania faces mounting aerial and maritime security threats from Russia, Defense Minister Radu Miruță says.

Romania calls for NATO Black Sea mission

www.politico.eu/article/roma...

New Hampshire’s GOP Gov. Kelly Ayotte draws her first major challenger Democrat Cinde Warmington launched another bid for the governor’s office after running unsuccessfully in 2024.

New Hampshire Republican governor Kelly Ayotte draws her first major challenger in her re-election bid

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

The ‘Enigma’: Why JD Vance Befuddles the World The vice president’s comments and actions have some diplomats questioning his ability to navigate global crises.

The 'Enigma': Why JD Vance Befuddles the World

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

The “Enshittification” of NATO The European experience of dependence on US guarantees in many ways resembles the familiar decline in quality of digital applications.

The 'Enshittification' of NATO

nationalinterest.org/feature/the-...

No ‘business as usual’ with US, says Latvian PM Evika Siliņa says a more decisive Europe may have some new moves in its dance with the U.S.

No 'business as usual' with U.S., says Latvian prime minister Evika Silinja

www.politico.eu/article/evik...

Is This Where Trump’s NATO Ideas Are Coming From? An idea floating in academic circles has helped drive the Trump administration’s pullback from Europe.

How a 2023 white paper by British academic and conservative historian Sumantra Maitra on his theory of "Dormant NATO", in which the U.S. a smaller role relative to Europe, is influencing Trump's stance towards NATO

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Paris mayoral hopeful Dati takes campaign inspiration from New York’s Mamdani Paris mayoral hopeful Rachida Dati is running her campaign almost entirely on social media, posting videos with everyday Parisians to drive home her campaign promises. The strategy echoes that of soci...

Paris mayoral candidate Rachida Dati, a center-right conservative and member of Les Republicains, is running a campaign that is focused primarily on social media, resembling that of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign

www.france24.com/en/france/20...

Live Updates: Rubio Emphasizes Shared History With Europe at Munich Security Conference

Live Updates: Rubio Emphasizes Shared History With Europe at Munich Security Conference www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02...

Saab, Babcock bank on Arrowhead 120 design for Sweden’s next frigate  - Breaking Defense The partnership aims to bring together “a proven, export-ready design tailored to Sweden’s needs,” Saab’s spokesperson Ulrika Langels told Breaking Defense.

Diving into the UK-Swedish offer (Arrowhead 120) for Sweden's new Luleå-class surface combatants that went public this week—and why it likely has a strong edge over France's Naval Group FDI and Spain's Navantia Alpha 4000 in the $4.5–6.7B deal. breakingdefense.com/2026/02/saab...

U.S. Is Sending Its Largest Warship to the Middle East The USS Gerald R. Ford will join another aircraft carrier and nine other warships in the region.

U.S. is Sending Its Largest Warship to the Middle East

www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

🇩🇪Germany, 🇫🇷France, 🇬🇧UK, 🇮🇹Italy, 🇵🇱Poland and 🇸🇪Sweden have signed an agreement to jointly develop and produce a low-cost cruise missile, - Hartpunkt.

In professional circles, the project is known as the One Way Effector 500 Plus (OWE 500+).

t.me/warriorsukra...

Opinion | JD Vance vies for the gold medal in coarseness and flippancy The vice president has a knack for late — very late — adolescent naughtiness.

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Russia is plugging battlefield losses with recruits from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with many lured by fake job promises and coerced into combat. When they go home, their countries inherit the consequences. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/russias-foreign-fighter-pipeline?share_id=9156285

My rankings of the 10 Republicans most likely to be the 2028 nominee The contenders (and pretenders) ranked

Chris Cillizza's top 10 2028 Republican presidential contenders on Substack

open.substack.com/pub/chriscil...

Why Is Germany Moving 100 Leopard Tanks into the Baltics? Around 5,000 German troops, along with 105 Leopard 2A8 tanks, will soon be permanently stationed along Lithuania’s southeastern border with Russian-allied Belarus.

Why is Germany Moving 100 Leopard Tanks into the Baltics

nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/wh...

The transatlantic alliance is down but not out The Munich Security Conference will serve as a gut check of the frayed relationship, and whether Europe can hold on to its emerging self-assurance.

The transatlantic alliance is down but not out

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...