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View / The US war with Iran is not a China checkmate
US sanctions Rwanda’s top army officers over DR Congo conflict
The World at a Glance
Updated 7:10pm EST
1
President Donald Trump said there was no fixed timeline for the military campaign against Iran, saying the US would do ‘whatever it takes.’
2US stocks rebounded after the US attack on Iran rattled global markets, with investors parsing the winners and losers of the conflict.
3The Pentagon is racing to replenish interceptors to thwart Tehran’s retaliatory aerial attacks, but the US campaign faces dwindling munitions stockpiles.
4Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Arab Gulf states have put the region in a quagmire, as it faces the prospect of all-out war with Tehran.
5Chinese EV giant BYD recorded its largest sales slump since COVID, as domestic demand waned.
6France is set to increase its nuclear arsenal, President Emmanuel Macron announced, in a major overhaul of the country’s policy.
What to watch for on a huge primary day
At least half a dozen members of Congress are at risk of losing their seats in Tuesday’s primaries.
Kaylee Greenlee/Reuters Senate strikes deal on Trump’s housing idea
Congress is moving forward with a proposal to shut institutional investors out of housing despite the sustained skepticism of some free-market Republicans.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trump says no fixed timeline for US campaign in Iran
The US president signaled that the expanding Middle East conflict could last weeks.
Ken Cedeno/ReutersMiddle East thrust into war as Iran leader killed in US, Israel attack
Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and US Gulf allies, rattling nations whose economic booms require security and stability.
Airbus DS 2026/Handout via ReutersDemocrats prepare war powers votes on Iran
They know, however, that their efforts will fall short of the margin needed to overcome a presidential veto.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters Some Republicans back Trump on nationalization of voting
“If he has the power to make sure that people have to be citizens to be registered to vote, show ID to vote, he ought to do it,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott told Semafor. ”
Nathan Howard/Reuters As homeland security shutdown drags on, Thune pivots
The majority leader reasons that the Senate can flip back quickly to Department of Homeland Security funding if there’s a deal.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters 
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PoliticsKaylee Greenlee/Reuters Jonathan Ernst/Reuters 
Ken Cedeno/Reuters
What to watch for on a huge primary day
At least half a dozen members of Congress are at risk of losing their seats in Tuesday’s primaries.
Kaylee Greenlee/Reuters Senate strikes deal on Trump’s housing idea
Congress is moving forward with a proposal to shut institutional investors out of housing despite the sustained skepticism of some free-market Republicans.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trump officials face Iran questions
Tuesday is the first opportunity for many lawmakers to grill the administration on its war aims.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters Why Republicans won’t rein in Trump’s Iran war
“It would not be in our best interest at all to stop what’s already started,” one told Semafor.
As homeland security shutdown drags on, Thune pivots
The majority leader reasons that the Senate can flip back quickly to Department of Homeland Security funding if there’s a deal.
Texas’ Democratic Senate primary now a personality war
Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico tell more or less the same story about where their party went wrong. Their battle is more about themselves.
Some Republicans back Trump on nationalization of voting
“If he has the power to make sure that people have to be citizens to be registered to vote, show ID to vote, he ought to do it,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott told Semafor. ”
Democrats prepare war powers votes on Iran
They know, however, that their efforts will fall short of the margin needed to overcome a presidential veto.
The Gulf next door
The drones and missiles that got through the UAE’s defenses consummated what had always been a lingering sense of vulnerability.
Iran strikes show how Trump’s foreign policy bucks norms on war
The audacious mission to take out Iran’s leader underscored President Donald Trump’s brand of foreign policy, defined by unpredictability and a willingness to disregard longstanding norms, analysts said.
Democrats see Iraq echoes in Trump’s Iran war
The party that swept to power in Congress by campaigning against Middle East wars 20 years ago sounds confident that history will repeat itself.
Business
Dado Ruvic/Reuter illustration
The LBO debt market is freaking out. Here comes a $20 billion test of nerves.
JPMorgan bankers will pitch investors on $20 billion of debt backing the mega-buyout of EA Sports in Miami this week, a big ask for a market rattled by AI wipeout fears.
Dado Ruvic/Reuter illustrationChinese car price war starts to pick back up
China’s carmakers are reigniting a fraught price war in a bid to reverse a slump in sales.
US Soccer’s goal for the 2026 World Cup
CEO JT Batson says the tournament is forcing brands to see the value of the sport’s fans.
Affirm’s Max Levchin on how market sci-fi stories line up with AI reality
The PayPal co-founder values speculative visions of the future, even if investors overreacted to them this week.
Pearson’s pitch for company bosses to become AI chief education officers
CEO Omar Abbosh says a new approach to skills is needed for companies to get the most from humans and technology.
Technology
Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Al Drago/File Photo/Reuters
CERN scientists use AI to reevaluate physics theories
Many of the theories physicists rely on are incomplete, and until a flaw is found which can reveal new physics, the field is somewhat stuck.
Denis Balibouse/ReutersAnthropic says yet to hear about US government blacklisting
A row with the US government began after Anthropic refused to allow defense officials to use its technology in certain situations.
Al Drago/File Photo/ReutersDownloads of Anthropic’s Claude surge after Pentagon spat
Anthropic had refused to give the US military unfettered access to its technology.
Hours after Pentagon bans Anthropic, OpenAI strikes defense deal
Hegseth’s harsh punishment is the culmination of a long, slow slide that began with a political disagreement.
New AI-generated videos push boundaries
One video was a mock commercial for a gym where humans who lost their jobs to AI instead power it by exercising at “Energym,” run by aged versions of Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Jeff Bezos.
Perplexity’s ‘Computer’ wasn’t always planned
After Perplexity spent six months building its browser product Comet, it made Computer in two months.
Energy
Costas Baltas/Reuters
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters 
Leah Millis/File Photo/Reuters
Iran attack is Trump’s riskiest energy bet yet
“The name of the game is to move as much oil away from the Strait of Hormuz as possible right now.”
Costas Baltas/ReutersUS tech firms set to sign energy pledge
US tech giants are expected to sign a pledge next week to build or buy their own energy supplies to power data centers.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters The problem with Trump’s data center power plan
Trump’s plan to hold down rising power prices associated with data centers could waste a massive investment opportunity.
Leah Millis/File Photo/ReutersGulf
US Navy/Handout via Reuters
US’ Iran campaign faces dwindling munitions stockpiles
An extended US military campaign in Iran could be constrained by a munitions shortage.
US Navy/Handout via ReutersTrump says no fixed timeline for US campaign in Iran
The US president signaled that the expanding Middle East conflict could last weeks.
Gulf AI infrastructure faces its first stress test
Amazon’s cloud-computing facilities in the Middle East suffered power and connectivity issues on Sunday.
Iran strikes expose Gulf economies’ lingering energy dependence
Saudi Aramco shuttered its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday, while QatarEnergy halted LNG production.
The UAE’s costly shield in the US-Israel-Iran war
The UAE is bearing the brunt of the US-Israel-Iran war among the bystanders, withstanding more than 700 missile and drone strikes since Saturday.
Africa
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
A petrol tanker leaves the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters.
US sanctions Rwanda’s top army officers over DR Congo conflict
The penalties caused tensions to flare between both countries.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersAfrica braces for Middle East conflict fallout on fuel
A jump in oil prices offered short-term fiscal relief for African crude producers while raising inflation risks for the continent’s fuel importers.
A petrol tanker leaves the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters.Africa could find itself in ‘middle’ of Iran war
North and East African states are exposed to risks from primary and proxy actors in the Gulf, analysts said.
Mining giant Rio Tinto to restart major South Africa minerals project
The project was halted for six years because of violent unrest including protests and extortion attempts.
The drone-making startup with big dreams of securing Nigeria
Terra Industries raised $34 million in January across two funding rounds amid heightened US interest in Nigeria’s security crisis.
China’s media push in Africa has largely failed, analysts say
Beijing had rolled out a multi-billion-dollar, decades-long campaign to expand Chinese media’s presence in Africa.
SecurityUS Navy/Handout via Reuters 
Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Reuters
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters
US’ Iran campaign faces dwindling munitions stockpiles
An extended US military campaign in Iran could be constrained by a munitions shortage.
US Navy/Handout via ReutersJapan PM vows defense shakeup over China tensions
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked a diplomatic dispute with Beijing last year by saying Tokyo could defend Taiwan if China were to invade.
Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via ReutersTrump issues 15-day warning to Iran on nuclear deal
The US president warned that if Iran does not agree to a deal, “it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via ReutersMedia
Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press and Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
A new CBS News emerges amid Iran crisis
The joint Israeli and American attacks on Iran were the first major test of the new CBS News right-leaning and pro-Israel editorial leadership.
Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press and Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Netflix walks away from $83B Warner Bros. takeover
Paramount’s David Ellison gets the media property he has long wanted. Netflix, having swung and missed at its first big M&A deal, now has to reassure investors that its business is fine.
BBC News CEO who resigned over edit of Trump speech rejects charge of ‘institutional bias’
In her first interview since she left the BBC, Deborah Turness said at Semafor’s Restoring Trust in Media summit that it was her choice to resign.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr praises Bari Weiss’ CBS
“I think they’re doing a great job,” Carr said at Semafor’s Restoring Trust in Media event Wednesday.
Washington Post editor recounts layoff pain, pledges to take paper to profitability
“Great journalism is central, but the journalism alone isn’t enough.”
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Pearson/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Affirm/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
US Soccer’s goal for the 2026 World Cup
CEO JT Batson says the tournament is forcing brands to see the value of the sport’s fans.
Pearson’s pitch for company bosses to become AI chief education officers
CEO Omar Abbosh says a new approach to skills is needed for companies to get the most from humans and technology.
Courtesy of Pearson/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAffirm’s Max Levchin on how market sci-fi stories line up with AI reality
The PayPal co-founder values speculative visions of the future, even if investors overreacted to them this week.
Courtesy of Affirm/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD