"There is still enriched uranium that needs to be removed from Iran, there are still enrichment sites that need to be dismantled, and there is more work to do," the prime minister said. He said Trump told him, "I want to go in there," and added that he believed "it can be done physically."

Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, Trump will land in Beijing this week for his first visit to China since 2017. China was indeed affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but it had been preparing for this scenario for years. As the presidents arrange their cards ahead of the meeting, there are concerns that the interests of partner countries, such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, will be sacrificed in exchange for economic understandings.

As Washington awaits an Iranian replay on ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the new supreme leader met with the military top brass. A report submitted to him said: “Any enemy mistake will be met with force.” Meanwhile the UAE has intercepted two Iranian drones.

Following the elimination of Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Pyongyang toughens its stance and enshrines a “mutual destruction” mechanism in law. The new amendment stipulates that the military must immediately launch nuclear weapons if the supreme command is neutralized. At the same time, Kim Jong Un has ordered the deployment of advanced artillery that directly threatens Seoul. 

Reports from Washington indicate that the Americans, too, have finally gotten the message, and that they, too, have lost patience in the face of Hamas' refusal. The question, however, is where we go from here, assuming the Americans give us a green light to carry out Trump's threat: If Hamas refuses to disarm, I will let Israel do it.